NORTHERN SERVICE AREA

NSA LTI Scholarships Minimize

The LTI will take place at Wintergreen Resort from April 22 - 24, 2012.  For more information, visit the LTI page.  Four scholarships are being offered.  Each will pay half of the early bird member registration fees.  All scholarship applications must be received at the VRPS Central Office before close of business on February 3, 2012.  Applicants will be notified of their award status prior to the early registration deadline. 

This scholarship is for Northern Service Area Professional members.
 
Click here for the scholarship application.
 
  
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General Information Minimize
Mission
To provide networking, resources and professional development to Northern Service Area members while supporting the overall objectives of the Virginia Recreation and Park Society.
By Laws

 

  
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Important Links Minimize
Click here to view the Northern Service Area goals for 2010.
Click here to view the Northern Service Area by-laws.

 

  
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Save the Date! Minimize
 
Help Me Get a Job! 
Workshop
 
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center
3740 Old Lee Highway
Fairfax, VA 22030
 
10am-2pm
 
This interactive workshop is ideal for upcoming college grads looking for their first full time job, current Parks & Recreation professionals looking to take the next step in their careers, anyone looking to make the transition from their current line of work into the Parks & Recreation Field, and anyone looking to improve their chances of landing their next job!
 
Topics will include:
 
The Job Search
Resume Writing
Generational Differences
Interviewing
The Power of Networking
Resources
Internships and Experiences
Speed Interviewing
 
 
 
Participants will have an opportunity to MEET HIRING MANAGERS throughout the Northern Virginia Area and hear what they are looking for in their employees.
 

Stay tuned for Registration information online.

  
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Meeting Dates for 2012 Minimize

 Meeting Dates - 

 
March 14, 2012            10 AM -McLean Community Center
                                  1234 Ingleside Avenue McLean, VA 22101

May 9, 2012                10 AM -Fairlington Community Center
                                  3308 S. Stafford Street
                                  Arlington, VA 22206
 
July 11, 2012               10 AM -Bull Run Shooting Center
                                   7700 Bull Run Drive  Centerville, VA
                                   (Participants may stay after to shoot)
 
October 10, 2012          10 AM -Temple Hall Farm Regional Park
                                   15855 Limestone School Road 
                                    Leesburg, VA
                                    (Lunch, Tour of New Facility)
 
November 2 &3              Fall Workshop- Events 101
                                    Fairfax Government Center
                                    12000 Government Center Parkway 
                                    Fairfax, VA 22035
 
December 12                 Holiday Social - Location TBD
  
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News Minimize

For those of you who attended the Events 101 workshop co-hosted by the NSA and Celebrate Fairfax in November (and those who didn't) you are encouraged to visit the EVENTS101.org Resource page, where you will find links to the presenters of every session and roundtable, their organization/agency websites, presentations, and other links, too. You will also see that there are several “coming soon” placeholders to encourage you to check back throughout the year. Many thanks to Barry Feil and his staff at Celebrate Fairfax for assembling this material for our use. The NSA hopes to partner again in 2012 to offer educational opportunities for all festival and event planners. Is there a topic you’d like to learn more about or a speaker you’d like to hear present? Share your ideas and comments with your NSA Board reps.

  
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The New ADA FAQ's Minimize

 John McGovern's  FAQ's for the New ADA: Overview of Requirements for Fitness, Fishing, Boating, and Aquatics.

  
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The NEW ADA... Minimize

 In case you missed the important information provided during the workshop on December 9th, The NEW ADA....Things your Agency Should Know, click here to link to the handouts provided to attendees.

The US Department of Justice published the new title II regulations on September 14, 2010 in the Federal Register.  Virginia agencies have only a handful of months to learn the new aspects of this sweeping regulation. Your first step is to complete an access assessment of all your facilities against the program accessibility test.

The 2010 Standards for Accessible Design can be obtained online at Standards.
 
The US Department of Justice consolidated title II regulation can be obtained at Title II Regulation.  This is an important document as it includes highlighted text for the new elements of the title II regulation, to which every one of the more than 80,000 units of state and local government must adhere.
 
Both are important for use by attendees who work for states, counties, cities, special districts, school districts, and other local governments.
 
John McGovern of Recreation Accessibility Consultants LLC discussed the top ten policy issues in the new regulation, and highlighted the key recreation additions to the 2010 Standards, the final design requirements that complement already-existing requirements.  Pools, playgrounds, golf courses, fitness centers, sports fields, boating, and fishing were addressed. In addition, there are new requirements for automated phone answering systems, provisions for service animals and EPAMD’s you need to act on by March 15, 2011.
 
About the presenter:
John McGovern has more than 30 years experience in parks and recreation. He earned his law degree from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law while working in parks and recreation. John has worked as a consultant on access and inclusion and worked with state, county, and local governments. He is interested in the application of access concepts to real life situations, and published a handbook for ADA compliance for Illinois park districts in 1991. He wrote a similar handbook for municipal parks and recreation agencies for the National Recreation and Park Association in 1992. Both are still in use today. His goal is to help every agency create a plan on how to develop parks, facilities, and programs that accommodate people of all ages and abilities. He writes and speaks about the ADA and recreation frequently, and consults with organizations across the country. He is the co-Founder of the successful National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) National Institute on Recreation Inclusion, now in its tenth year. In 2005, the American Park & Recreation Society (APRS) recognized him with its Meritorious Service Professional Award. In 2008 he was selected by the American Academy of Parks & Recreation Administration as a “Legend” in Parks and Recreation.
 
We extend our thanks to NVblu, Inc and Cunningham Associates for their support of this educational program.
 
  
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2011 Board of Directors Minimize

Chair:
Blythe Russian
Northern Virgiia Regional Park Authority
(703) 359-4624
brussian@nvrpa.org

Chair-Elect:
Karen Lussier
City of Fairfax Parks & Recreation
(703) 591-3689
klussier@fairfaxva.gov

Secretary:
Jenny Praxton
Falls Church Recreation & Parks
(703) 248-5077
jpaxton@fallschurchva.gov

Treasurer:
Kim Baldini
Arlington County Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources
703-288-7140
kbaldini@arlingtonva.us

Member-At-Large:
Tawny Hammond
Fairfax County Park Authority
(703) 437-9101
tawny.hammond@fairfaxcounty.gov

Past Chair: (Nominations and Elections)
Laura McCarty, CPRP
Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority
(703) 359-4614
lmccarty@nvrpa.org
 


 

  
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