FRIDAY
March 27
8:00-9:15 am
Leadership Lessons Learned
We will utilize the 4-directions exercise to identify participants' management leanings and encourage sharing. Building off their styles, I will share over 20 leadership and management insights and tips I have learned over the course of 20+ years in education, business and recreation. We will relate these nuggets to participants' management style and explain how they can be used effectively in their work environments. Participants will spend time with others brainstorming ways they can employ some of the strategies provided at their workplace.
Speaker: Dan Hendey, Senior Education Manager/Director - PRPS/The Maintenance Institute
Ctrl+Alt+Park: Rebooting Your Department with Tech
Gone are the days of paper logs lost in file folders. Learn how one parks and rec department is using technology to improve efficiency, reduce paper use, and make informed decisions. We’ll discuss tools like online staff logs, GIS asset maps, and QR code incident reports – and how they support planning and budgeting. We'll also cover tech for customer service, rentals, events, and staff management. No matter your tech experience, you'll walk away with fresh ideas worth downloading!
Speaker: Courtney Fox, Director of Parks and Recreation - Lansdale Borough
ROCKreation: The Current State of Climbing in PA
This session will highlight the evolving landscape of climbing in Pennsylvania and the opportunities that lie ahead. Discover how artificial and man-made climbing structures are expanding accessibility and fostering growth in the sport. Learn how strategic partnerships with Local Climbing Organizations are driving progress in risk management, conservation, and long-term stewardship of both public and private lands.
Speaker: Dana Caracciolo, General Manager - Doylestown Rock Gym
Hey Coach: Self-Analysis for Positive Youth Sports
As youth sports evolve, it's vital to reassess coaching and parental roles through the lens of equity, inclusion, and diversity. This session equips coaches and parents with tools for effective self-analysis, fostering an inclusive environment that values each athlete’s unique experiences, ensuring all young athletes have a positive, enriching experience.
Speaker: Lori Hoffner, Organizational Development Speaker & Trainer - Supporting CommUnity
Waterway Restoration on DCNR Lands
The long-term sustainability and resilience of Pennsylvania aquatic resources and waterways can put parks on the map as potential project areas. This session will review case studies of waterway restoration efforts taking place on DCNR lands. Participants will learn considerations for maximizing ecological uplift while addressing operational needs, technical examples of pursuing low-cost process-based techniques such parallel log structures and rock socks, and developing adaptable project lists to meet the opportunities available.
Speaker: Nick Decker, Natural Resource Program Supervisor - PA DCNR State Parks
FRIDAY
March 27
9:30-10:45 am
Blind/Low Vision Tennis
Be part of a movement to make tennis accessible to all blind and low vision athletes across the United States, unlocking personal growth, athletic achievement, and lifelong connections. Learn the basics of the adaptations, recruitment, and start-up of a blind and low vision tennis program. Learn how to create opportunities to remove barriers and ensure that blind and low vision individuals everywhere can discover and enjoy the sport of tennis within existing facilities. The US Blind Tennis Association (USBTA) raises awareness of blind tennis, promotes disability rights, and works to shift perceptions about blindness and sport. The USBTA provides tools, training, and encouragement for the startup and growth of blind tennis organizations.
Speaker: Jennifer Roth, PhD, Board Member and Trainer - US Blind Tennis Association
Questions of Ethics
With nearly 28 years in local government, Ken Lehr has dealt with numerous ethical questions including topics such as hiring, discipline, contracting and purchasing, and confidentiality. In this interactive session, participants will examine specific situations and as a group determine practical, ethical, and legal considerations, find out how the issues were resolved in real-life, and offer alternate solutions. Participants are encouraged to bring their own ethical questions and concerns to this session.
Speaker: Kenneth Lehr, Park and Recreation Director - West Goshen Township
Challenge Accepted! Develop Your Counselors Game Leading Skills
Why just drill your lifeguards, when you can test your camp counselors too!? This year Manheim Township developed a “Playground Game Challenge”, to enhance our counselor’s ability to plan, execute, and evaluate camp games. Each counselor was evaluated and ranked on how well they executed a game. We will dive into how we ran this program, challenges we hit, and what we will do differently. Join us to learn how this concept can make a better counselor for your summer camps!
Speakers: Matt Stopa, Recreation Director - Manheim Township; Brandon Pentz, Youth Program Manager - Manheim Township
Creating Effective Multi-Generation Teams
This session helps participants understand generational differences and gain insight into why we do what we do. Learn how to blend different generations into a cohesive and positive team and create an environment of cooperation that meets the needs of your staff regardless of their age.
Speaker: Lori Hoffner, Organizational Development Speaker and Trainer - Supporting CommUnity
Small Department Roundtable
Designed to Facilitate discussion between small departments and introduce small departments to each other. Q & A, meet & greet, and tips & tricks we have learned.
Facilitators: Kelly Rebitz, Administrator - Cheltenham Township Parks and Recreation; Sylvester Corbie, Program Coordinator - Cheltenham Township Parks and Recreation
I’m All In, But How Do I Get Them to Be?
Leading with passion is one thing, getting others to join you is another. In this interactive session, Gian Paul Gonzalez shares real-world lessons on inspiring commitment, combating cynicism, and building unity within teams and communities. Drawing from his own experiences in community work and leadership, he explores how to balance enthusiasm with patience, empower emerging professionals, and re-engage seasoned ones who may feel worn down. Attendees will leave with practical tools, handouts, and renewed motivation to cultivate “all in” engagement across their departments and programs.
Speaker: Gian Paul Gonzalez, Motivational Speaker
FRIDAY
March 27
11:00-12:15 pm
Endnote: Challenge to Live Life ALL IN
Discover the power of choosing to live “ALL IN” today, because the future you’re hoping for starts with the commitments you make right now. This session unpacks how daily decisions build long-term impact, using the “chip” as a symbol of the risks worth taking when you’re fully invested.
Speaker: Gian Paul Gonzalez, Motivational Speaker