January 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 27

By Brook Burk, Ph.d.

FUtUre L e AD ers

Award Winners Envision their Legacies
Young professionals share their passion and inspiration

O

ne oF THe greaTesT THings aBouT our Field is that there is no shortage of

people to " catch " doing amazing work each and every day. I had the opportunity to speak with a few young and new professionals who were recognized for their efforts through national NRPA awards. I asked them why they are so
passionate about parks and recreation and what motivates them to be a part of this
great field.

tiffany Johnson

First, this year's New Professional Award winner was Tiffany Johnson, who is currently employed
with the District of Columbia Department of Parks
and Recreation as a supervisory recreation specialist. Next is Kara Kish, who received the Robert W.
Crawford Young Professional Award. Kara is the assistant superintendent of Vigo County Parks and Recreation Department in Terre Haute, Indiana. Last, but
not least, Michael Bradley received the Graduate Student Award. Michael is currently concluding his doctoral work at Oklahoma State University.
I asked each award winner a series of questions.
The questions and their thoughtful and inspiring answers are presented below.

What drives you to be in the field of parks and
recreation?
Tiffany: As a child, most of my time was spent at
my local recreation center. I actually spent more time
there than I did at home. This is where I met one of

kara kish

Michael Bradley

my two mentors. I was encouraged and supported
to excel in life through every facet and was taught
valuable life lessons that weren't learned at home.
My mentor motivated me to be the best person that I
could possibly be and helped to develop me into the
person that I am today.
Kara: The idea behind parks and recreation as a
function of government is a deep-seated passion
that motivates me every day; public parks and recreational opportunities should be open and accessible to the community without exclusion. Government
provides a unique platform to provide public services to the community by recognizing the social need
and value of play, recreation, leisure, and sport.
Michael: There are two main points that drive me
to be a part of this wonderful field of work: the people I work with, and creating a difference so future
generations have all the opportunities I had as a child
and adult. Early in my professional career, I worked for
the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and experienced

w w w . N R P A . O R G    J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 2    Parks

& Recreation

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January 2012 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2012 - Parks & Recreation

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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2017
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2017
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2015
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2015
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2014
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2010
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2010
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