December 2013 - Parks & Recreation - 59

NRPA Headquarters Achieves
Local Green Business Certification
By Ted Mattingly

RPA practices what it preaches, and the association's headquarters has
been recognized locally for its green efforts by achieving the Gold-level certification in the 2013 Loudoun County Green Business Challenge.
The Green Business Challenge is a friendly points-based competition and
certification process that challenges and encourages businesses to implement
more efficient and sustainable practices. Participation also demonstrates leadership, an eye toward improving the bottom line, creating a healthier work
environment for employees and minimizing the environmental impact organizations have on their communities.
The Green Business
Challenge focuses on
five specific categories: Education and
Outreach, Energy,
Water, Waste and
Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n .
Here are some highlights of what NRPA
is doing to improve
its practices and be good
stewards for the environment.
Education and Outreach: NRPA
impacts communities through efforts
that focus on Conservation, Health
and Wellness, and Social Equity, and
it sponsors the NRPA Green School.
Energy: NRPA facility staff performed energy audits, optimized building operating parameters, installed new
energy-efficient equipment and appliances, and switched to T-8 lightbulbs.
Water: Staff inventoried all of the
facility's domestic water fixtures to
identify conservation opportunities,
installed a programmable water system for irrigation and included native
plants in the property's landscaping.
Waste: NRPA's staff members
maintain a solid office recycling program, use paper towels and copier
paper made from 100 percent recy-

cled fiber or post-consumer content, and sustain
green office kitchen
pantries with minimal
disposable
items and chilled
water coolers.
Transportation:
NRPA offers staff telework options and other
reduced/shared transportation benefits to help limit the
environmental impact of travel.
NRPA continues to improve its
green practices in an effort to set examples for members and the local
community. Staff members also have
the option to participate in the NRPA
Green Team to look at our current efforts and determine other opportunities to improve our practices. If you'd
like to share green facility and business
practices you've undertaken at your
own agency, or if you have suggestions
for additional measures for NRPA
staff to undertake at headquarters,
please email Senior Editor Danielle
Taylor at dtaylor@nrpa.org.
Ted Mattingly is NRPA's Director of
Facilities and Administrative Services
(tmattingly@nrpa.org).

Test Your Park
& Recreation
Knowledge
The following question is a sample
Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) examination question.
Knowing that a volunteer working
special events is internally motivated, the most meaningful form
of recognition for outstanding
work performance would be:
A. Free use of facilities
B. A stipend with a thank-you card
C. Verbal acknowledgement following the event
D. The presentation of a plaque at
a formal ceremony
Calling all beginning to mid-level
professionals! The Certified Park and
Recreation Professional (CPRP) is the
national standard for all park and recreation professionals who want to be
at the forefront of their profession.
For more information on the CPRP
certification program and the answer
to the above question, please visit
www.nrpa.org/cprp.

W W W. N R PA . O R G | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3 |

Parks & Recreation

December 2013 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2013 - Parks & Recreation