October 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 13

NRPA IN FOC US

Board Member
Detrick Stanford
Advocacy begins with
" telling a better story "

EtRick stanfoRD, director of Clayton

County Parks and Recreation in the
Atlanta metro area, not only leads an
agency that serves a large, growing, and diverse
population-but his career as a park professional has also encompassed an unusual variety of
roles: strategic management, conservation of natural resources, historic preservation, and fi nancial administration. As an NRPA Board member, Stanford offers a balanced perspective
on the nature and direction of the parks and recreation profession. He urges park
leaders to " tell a better story, " while at the same time reminding them that numbers
and the empirical evidence must-now more than ever-back up that story. Stanford
is also part of the Local Host Committee preparing for the 201l NRPA Congress and
Exposition in Atlanta.
Atlanta faces the same kinds of pressures related
to funding parks and recreation as many big cities
do-a deteriorating urban infrastructure, loss of
core population, and reduced tax revenues. What
can advocates for parks and recreation do to
convince city business leaders and elected oﬃcials
that investing in parks and recreation is a solid
investment in their city that will pay rich dividends
in the future?
Today's economic challenges have led many agencies to make significant cutbacks in staffing and operations, and it is tempting to pursue a defensive style
of advocacy that focuses on line-items and dollars. As
park and recreation professionals, though, we need
to take a proactive, positive stance, providing tangible evidence of successful ventures, such as the Selena Butler Park project, to our business leaders and
elected officials. The more we can tell a better story
and show how relevant we are to our communities,

whether in our immediate community or the one next
door, the more we will continue to build a reputable
resume documenting the value of what we do.
And part of telling a better story is going forth
with a well established, professional business proposition or model for the various communities we
serve. At times, I feel, parks and recreation professionals are reluctant to discuss the return on
investment in dollars to our business leaders and
customers. The paradigm has changed, and we
must now show our worth and explain our mission
not only to our elected officials-but also to our constituents and potential partners. And we must do it
every chance we get.

The
paradigm
has changed,
and we must
now show
our worth
and explain
our mission
not only to
our elected
officials-but
also to our
constituents
and potential
partners.

Why should the restoration of deteriorated urban
parks like Selena Butler Park be a high priority for
any urban park system, not just Atlanta's parks
and recreation department?

w w w . N R P A . O R G O C T O B E R 2 0 1 1 Parks

& Recreation

October 2011 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2011 - Parks & Recreation