2021 conference Education Sessions

All regular education sessions are worth 0.125 CEU credits.

Mini Sessions and Summits do not quality for CEU credits.


Thank you to all our 2021 speakers! The 2021 Conference & Expo would not be such a success without your contributions.


Tuesday Sessions | November 2, 2021


1:30PM - 2:45PM | Session Group 1

1A. The WHY of Work; Remembering Passion and Purpose During Recovery

Lori A. Hoffner, Supporting CommUnity, Inc.

1B. Seize the Day Not Your Phone

Jeff Wozer, Speaker. Comedian. Writer.

1C. Neighborhood Partnerships - The Benefits of Working with Residents to Plan and Implement Park Improvements

J.P. Hall, Halteman Village Neighborhood Association; Heather Williams, Riverside/Normal City Neighborhood Association; Brad King, Old West End Neighborhood Association; and Courtney Marsh, Southside Neighborhood Association

1D. Park and Recreation Departments Access University Resources to Help Fulfill Their Missions

Amy L. Gregg, Shannon Powers, and Joshua Gruver, Ball State University; Dan Dunten, West Lafayette Parks & Recreation

1E. Mini Session: Exciting Programs on a Shoestring Budget

Brandy Fiechter, Bluffton Parks Department

1F. CANCELED - Mini Session: Youth Running – Track and Cross Country

Becky Kreiger, Porter County Parks & Recreation

1G. This Park is a Dump!

Ryan P. Cambridge, The Parks Alliance of Indianapolis, Drew Braley, Browning Day, Ed Joniskan, KERAMIDA

1H. Successful Athletic Fields – The Pros & Cons of Natural and Synthetic Surfaces

Fred Prazeau, Context Design

3:00PM - 4:15PM | Session Group 2

2A. Creating Positive Practices to Reduce Unconscious Bias

Lori A. Hoffner, Supporting CommUnity, Inc.

2B. Experience Famine: Too Much Viewing, Not Enough Doing

Jeff Wozer, Speaker. Comedian. Writer.

2C. Play, as Parent and Professional: A Bi-Focal Exploration of Play Spaces

Alan Rosenwinkel, Rundell Ernstberger Associates; Amber Berninger, Midstates Recreation

2D. Successful Parks Projects – Casting a Vision to Create a Community Asset

– Marc Griffith, The Veridus Group; Brian McNerney, Context Design

2E. Mini Session: Spend Your Park Design Budget Wisely: Key Components of a Good RFP

Sara Huss, DLZ Indiana LLC

2F. Mini Session: Aquatic Epoxy Coating – Take the PAIN Out of Epoxy Pool PAINt Projects

Mark Anderson, American Clean & Seal

2G. Engaging with Our Community During and After COVID

Mindy Murdock, Zionsville Parks & Recreation

2H. Spray Park Design A to Z

Greg Stoks, Aquatix by Landscape Structures


Wednesday Sessions | November 3, 2021


8:00AM - 9:15AM | Session Group 3

3A. Boundaries: A Tool for Leadership Sustainability and Engagement

Brandi Lust, Teacher, Speaker, Consultant

3B. Complex Parks Projects

John Marc Griffith and Scott Senefeld, The Veridus Group; Kathy Lozano and Greg Mitchell, West Lafayette Parks & Recreation

3C. Project Blueways

Jenna Wachtmann and Jud Fisher, Ball Brothers Foundation, Phil Tevis, FlatLand Resources

3D. Telling and Selling Your (and your agency’s) Story – TED style

Neelay Bhatt and Jason Elissalde, PROSConsulting

3E. Adaptability - How to Capture Community Investment and Support to Adapt Your Parks, Embrace Change, and Improve Existing Assets!

Bridget Anderson, Patronicity

3F. Prescribed Fire as a Natural Management Tool

John Taylor, Ball State Field Station

3G. Internships: Creating a Quality Experience for Students, Park and Recreation Departments and Universities

Julie Knapp, Indiana University; Becky Higgins, Bloomington Parks & Recreation Department; Amanda D’Agostino, Student from Indiana University


10:15AM - 11:30AM | Session Group 4

4A. Connecting with Meaning and Purpose: Values-Based Engagement in Organizations

- Brandi Lust, Teacher, Speaker, Consultant

4B. Using Tactical Urbanism to Create Safe Access to Parks and Greenways

Pete Fritz, Indiana Department of Health; Marjorie Hennessy, Health by Design; Brandon Burgoa, Indiana Department of Transportation

4C. What Do You Do with an Old Pool?

Kyle Lueken, HWC Engineering; Sam Blake, Spear Corporation

4D. Justice, Equity, Diversity, Accessibility, & Inclusion (JEDAI) in Parks and Recreation Settings: A Conversation

Brian Forist, Indiana University; Amanda D’Agostino, Shelbie Porteroff, Jenessa Carlisle, Students from Indiana University

4E. Mini Session: Natural Resource Data is a “Walk in the Park”

Evie Kirkwood, Evie Kirkwood Consulting, LLC

4F. Mini Session: Benefits of Site Master Planning for Parks

Sara Huss, DLZ Indiana LLC

4G. Leadership Starts with You: Ten Keys for Moving You and Your Organization to the Next Level

Dan Gamble, Kenney Machinery Corporation

4H. Camp Programming: What Does That Look Like for Your Park?

Melissa Theriault-Thompson, Washington Township Park; Jen Despain, Brownsburg Parks & Recreation; Nate Phipps, Danville Parks & Recreation

1:30PM - 2:45PM | Session Group 5

5A. Futuristic Spray Play

Greg Stoks, Lanscape Structures

5B. Fiscally Fit Budgeting Concepts

Matt Hickey, ePRepSolutions, LLC; Austin Hochstetler, Zec Eight Insights, LLC

5C. Taking BIG Ideas from Concept to Reality

Jonathan Jones, South Bend Venues Parks & Arts

5D. Performance Appraisals – Get Off the Treadmill

Michael Clark, Palatine Park District

5E. CANCELED - Chainsaw Safety

Mark Parker, Bryan Equipment Sales

5F. Making the Transition from Front Line to Management

Evie Kirkwood, Evie Kirkwood Consulting, LLC; Leslie Witkowski, St. Joseph County Parks

5G. Assessment and Management of Small Lakes and Ponds

Mitchell Zischke, Purdue University

3:45PM - 5:00PM | Session Group 6

6A. Smooth Transitions – Accessibility of Public Facilities for Transgender Populations

Michael G. Clark, Palatine Park District; Sophie Michaels

6B. Inter-Active and Inclusive Design for Aquatic Facilities

Mark Williams, Rain Drop

6C. Trends in Playground Design

Jim Isaacs, Landscape Structures

6D. Leveraging Information in this Data-Driven World

Austin Hochstetler, Zec Eight Insights, LLC; Matt Hickey, ePRepSolutions, LLC

6E. Mini Session: StoryWalk

Dan Dunten and Diane Schlegel, West Lafayette Parks & Recreation

6F. Mini Session: "Logging Into Nature" – Adapting Outdoor Nature Based Programming

Nathaniel Bibat, Dunes Learning Center

6G. Construction and Financing Delivery Models for Parks and Recreation Capital projects

Dan Lawson, Meyer Najem, Greg Martz, GM Development

6H. Riverside Adventure Park: Transforming Equitable Public Engagement for a Pandemic

Sarah Evans, V3 Companies; Julee Jacob, Indy Parks & Recreation; Phyllis Boyd, Groundwork Indy


Thursday Sessions | November 4, 2021


9:00AM - 10:15AM | Group Session 7

7A. Call of the Wild

Bill Ream and Ashley Spurgeon, City of Bloomington Parks & Recreation

7B. Managing Perspective and Expectation in Today's Parks and Recreation Industry

Austin Hochstetler, CPRP, Zec Eight Insights, LLC

7C. Esports in Recreation

Kevin O'Brien, GGLeagues

7D. Whose Parks: How Race, Class, Gender, and History Drive the Experience of Place and What to Do About It

Jonathon Geels, Troyer Group

7E. Mini Session: Connect, Explore, and Learn on OuterSpatial: Bloomington Park and Recreation's Mobile Application

Rebecca Swift, City of Bloomington Parks & Recreation


10:30AM - 11:45AM | Group Session 8

8A. Revitalizing Your Traditional Swimming Pool to Increase Revenue Potential

Chip Orner, CPRE, Franklin Parks & Recreation

8B. Measuring Your Park's Health

John Martinez and Aaron Perri, South Bend Venues Parks & Arts

8C. Developing a Business Culture in Your Agency

- Leon Younger & Scott Volmer, PROS Consulting

8D. Youth Programming Make It Better Than Sex!: Reshaping Youth Culture

Kintae D. Lark, South Bend Venues Parks & Arts

8E. Motivation to Move: Increasing Physical Activity for Intergenerational Users while Promoting Health and Fitness

Ron Blake, GameTime