NRPA's future in a new world: it takes careful planning to stay the course in changing times.

In pondering the passing of former President Ronald Reagan, it's impossible not to notice how much the world has changed since his administration; indeed, how much the world has changed in just the past few years. Seminal events such as 9/11, the transition from a Democratic to a Republican administration, and the recent economic downturn have affected many lives. These events have also affected the association's long-term vision far parks and recreation.

Over the years, NRPA has been guided by a document that was developed in the late 1990s, and adopted by the NRPA Board of Trustees in October 2001. Entitled Vision 2010, the document states NRPA's mission to "advance parks, recreation and environmental conservation efforts that enhance the quality of life for all people," and provides NRPA with a strategic plan for the first 10 years of the new millennium.

Last October, we used this document to develop an annual work plan for the association. We distributed it to all NRPA governance bodies, asking these groups to suggest goals for the coming year based upon the strategies and actions listed in the vision.

We received 83 widely divergent suggestions. Last February, we submitted these suggestions to the NRPA National Forum. After much deliberation, the Forum produced a list of nine prioritized goals. NRPA's board recently ratified these goals and adopted a budget for their implementation.

The goals are listed in their entirety on NRPA's Web site, www.nrpa.org, and emphasize specific advances in public policy, public education, continuing education for our members, and research on academic and practical park and recreation issues.

This process has worked reasonably well, and we are excited that NRPA has a plan for concentrating its resources on issues that matter most to NRPA members. Going forward, however, we felt we needed a new document that could better serve as the foundation for developing our annual goals.

Following the May Board of Trustees meeting, I appointed a new Strategic Planning Committee. The committee is chaired by President-Elect Lori Daniel, manager of recreation services, Aurora, Colo. Also serving are Jane Adams, executive director, California Park and Recreation Society, Sacramento, Calif.; Bob Farnsworth, CEO, PlayCore Corp., Chattanooga, Tenn.; Lois Finkelman, council member; Dallas City Council in Texas; Mary, Garrison, president, Winnetka Park District Board of Commissioners, Winnetka, Ill.; Ron Lehman, commissioner, Channahon Community Park District, Channahon, Ill.; Steve Neu, director, Parks and Recreation District, Bismarck, N.D.; Eric O'Brien, president, O'Brien & Sons, Medfield, Mass.; Arvilla 0hlde, director (ret.) Park, Recreation & Cultural Service, Edmonds, Wash.; and Joe Wynns, director, Indianapolis Department of Parks and Recreation in Indiana. President Jim Donahue, recreation director, Perinton, N.Y., and I serve ex officio, and NRPA Executive Director John Thorner serves as staff liaison to the committee.

This group has been meeting over the summer with the intent of developing a new strategic plan to recommend for board consideration in October. I have asked the committee to pay particular attention to the external factors affecting our environment, and to recommend specific strategies for advancing NRPA's mission given these factors. Because our economic and political climate is ever evolving, the plan will be confined to the next three years. Next summer, we will reconvene to develop a new three-year plan, and then continue to meet in this fashion every year to fine-tune our rolling plan. Certainly this approach will enable us to perform much more effectively as a national association, than trying to set our agenda 15 years into the future.

Because the development of a vision will have a major impact on NRPA's future activities, we will be circulating a draft in mid-September to obtain as much member input as possible.

The park and recreation field certainly has its challenges. But by working together on a common plan, we can meet those challenges, and bring even greater immediate success to the profession.

David O. Lose, FASLA 

NRPA Chair