May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 66

NRPA Update

Member Spotlight: Jason Avery

laska features some of the most gorgeous, rugged and intimidating
terrain to be found in the United States, as well as many intriguing
and resourceful park and recreation professionals. Jason Avery, manager at Pioneer Park in Fairbanks, Alaska, certainly falls into that category. We
recently caught up with the 38-year-old to learn more about his decades-long
professional career and tricks of the trade.

Parks & Recreation Magazine: Give
us a little background about yourself and your career.
Jason Avery: I grew up in Boulder
City, Nevada, just outside of Las
Vegas, and I currently live in Fairbanks, Alaska. I have been with
the Fairbanks North Star Borough
(FNSB) for 20 years.

P&R: What's your favorite native
Alaskan sport?
Avery: It would have to be the Alaskan High Kick. As with most native
sports, the high kick teaches balance
and helps to develop strength and endurance to survive the harsh climates.
An athlete sits on the floor with one
hand holding the opposite foot. The
athlete then places his free hand onto
the floor and then jumps up and tries
to kick the target as high as they can
with the free foot, while still holding
their other foot. There are great videos online. Ear pull and knuckle hop
are amazing to watch as well.

P&R: What's your favorite aspect of
Pioneer Park?
Avery: The connection that I have
with this wonderful community.
This park is truly a community park
that preserves the history of Fairbanks while allowing for a plethora
of events and activities throughout
the year.
P&R: What's one thing visitors to
FNSB parks should be particularly
wary of?
Avery: The one thing that we say
while in Alaska is to be prepared
for anything. We certainly have
our share of wildlife, and it doesn't
take too long to be in the middle of
nowhere where help is not quickly
available. Pioneer Park is located
in the middle of Fairbanks, and as
I write this there is a moose walking
by the window.
P&R: What's the most-repeated
piece of advice you give your employees, and how many folks do
you manage?

Parks & Recreation

than five years. It gave me the opportunity to travel the state while meeting some of the strangest characters
Alaska has to offer. I did most of the
bookings, so it helped me gain experience in event coordination and
patience. You probably could still
find some of our tunes online, but
we never sold any albums.

Avery: I manage six full-time staff
in the winter and more than 32 in
the summer season. The most-repeated advice I give seasonal employees is, " When in doubt, clean
the restrooms. " This comes from
the [more than 10] years I worked
in aquatics, and I'm obsessed with
clean facilities.
P&R: Our intrepid research team
discovered you were once a member of a " folkadelic cabin rock "
band.... Elaborate on how this
experience contributed to your
parks career, and, where can we
buy the album?
Avery: I did in fact play in a band
named Mudfoot Brown for more

| M AY 2 0 1 4 | W W W. N R PA . O R G

P&R: If you could live anywhere
else, where would that be?
Avery: My heart is in Alaska, but I
could do a couple of months a year
in Belize or Costa Rica.
P&R: If you got stranded in the Alaskan wilderness, what three things
would you bring with you?
Avery: A gun, a way to make fire,
and Parks & Recreation Magazine.
P&R: What's your personal mantra?
Avery: Treat people the way you
want to be treated.
- Samantha Bartram, Associate Editor
of Parks & Recreation Magazine

May 2014 - Parks & Recreation

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