Successful parks directors used to be able to have a decades-long career leading a public agency where they may have started out in an entry-level role, under multiple mayors or city managers. Today, newly elected officials are eager to appoint their own agency heads to implement their agenda, sometimes regardless of their level of expertise or experience in their community. This sometimes results in a steep learning curve for new park agency leaders, often needing a year or more to understand the landscapes (political, organizational, community, etc.) of where they are working before they can start to implement change to achieve lasting results. With about a maximum of 3 years before the next election cycle, there is not a lot of time left for them to develop, let alone implement, a consensus-based agenda.
Using our successful skill-building workshop program model, the Alliance believes we can help fill the gaps in their training so that urban park leaders can have a greater impact in their communities in a shorter start-up period, and leave a lasting culture that could continue to have impact under successor leadership. Participants will explore and map the systems they operate within, uncover opportunities to utilize and extend their networks to amplify their impact, and figure out how to collaborate across elected representatives, public servants, nonprofit partners, and community leaders with diverse agendas and perspectives.
Note: This workshop is intended for public park agency executive leaders — especially those in their first couple of years in that role — and agency leaders staff (i.e., deputy and assistant directors/ commissioners and chiefs of staff) who are likely to be agency leaders themselves in the not-too-distant future. It is also open to executive leaders from nonprofit parks organizations who aspire to public agency leadership. When you register, you will be placed on a waitlist. Conference organizers will regularly review it and notify those who are moved into the session or are ineligible to attend so they can register for an alternative.
