You Are the Difference.

As I embark upon my one-year term as president of the National Recreation and Park Association, I plan to focus on national public policy, international relations, and the governance of our organization.

This has been an exciting year in the policy and legislative arena. We have been the leader in pushing the issue of stateside funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and for restoration of urban parks. We are pleased with the things that have happened in this Congress and the inroads that have been made. Your public policy office -- and, in particular, members like you -- have done an outstanding job in making our message and our voices heard on Capitol Hill. I'd like to thank each and every one of you who has realized that one voice can make a difference.

When you contact your legislator, your impact is at least doubled. First, your congressperson understands your position on the issue, and will hopefully use that information when forming his or her position. Second, NRPA will then use your contact with that representative to enforce its position on a particular piece of legislation.

As we continue to embrace the computer age, we have become more astute in disseminating our message, primarily to our membership and then through them back to their respective representatives in order to accomplish our national goals. On land and water conservation, juvenile justice, national trails, and other issues, you have stepped forward to help NRPA accomplish its goals.

As we work toward the restoration of funding for LWCF state assistance and urban park restoration, we must remain focused on what national legislation means at the local level -- and the local level is where it all counts. Many times it is not the amount of funding available to your community, park district, or agency but the fact that there was funding available and that things could happen beyond your local level.

Late Speaker of the House Thomas "Tip" O'Neill noted that "all politics is local." I have found that as I enter different phases of my career, "all parks is local." And NRPA plays a major role in that localism by providing services and working on national legislation.

Through the years NRPA has evolved into a legitimate national force. The NRPA Board of Trustees is now reviewing the internal structure and governance of your national association. I can assure you that whatever the outcome, NRPA will benefit from reviewing itself and redefining its mission, governance, and obligations to its membership.

On the international level, NRPA has been a leader in fostering relationships with citizens and professionals beyond our borders. In the early 1990s we developed protocol arrangements with country partners in Japan, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. We will sign an exchange agreement with a private foundation in Colombia this year as well as explore one with the Partnership for the Americas.

International dialogue can result in important actions. In March, the National Recreation Foundation brought together potential members and the leadership of all protocol partners for a four-day meeting in Washington, D.C. The event helped us to develop relationships and better understand the workings and the structure of recreation and park systems in other nations. It was an excellent exchange and an opportunity to set an agenda in pursuit of a better quality of life on a global scale.

This past summer the NRPA New England region and the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association initiated a group exchange, which could be the first step in an active citizen-professional exchange program. With such international opportunities and national issues confronting public recreation and parks, how do we remain local parks? Seemingly external matters directly influence what we do and how we do it.

The value of international travel and review of other cultures is diminished greatly if not shared with our peers. Professional preparation and ongoing education are an integral part of the success of our local agencies. Much of that education comes from sharing ideas with our colleagues. That sharing must go far beyond our local and personal environment.

I anticipate an exciting 2000 and look forward to the opportunity to serve the members of NRPA.