4.6.2 – Professional Certification and Organizational Membership
Standard:Professional staff shall be active members of their professional organization(s) and pursue professional certifications within their respective disciplines. “Active” means more than holding membership, including attendance at meetings, making presentations, participating in committee work, holding elected and appointed positions, and participation in educational opportunities.
Suggested Evidence of Compliance: Provide a list of staff with professional certifications and also provide a list of staff that have actively participated in a professional organization during the prior calendar year, indicating the nature of participation. The following are examples for park and recreation professionals e.g. Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP), Certified Park and Recreation Executive (CPRE), Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) for park and recreation professionals.
Narrative:
PRC promotes active engagement and encourages staff to participate in organization memberships and pursue professional certifications to foster their individual and professional growth, and to contribute to the achievement of its goals and objectives.
Here are some of the organizations in which PRC’s staff is affiliated: the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA), New York State Recreation and Parks Society (NYSRPS), Westchester Recreation and Parks Society (WRAPS), New York State (NYS) Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Region 3 Fish and Wildlife Management Board, Environmental Monitoring and Management Alliance (EMMA), Pound Ridge Land Conservancy, New York Beaver Coalition, Beaver Institute, Westchester County Airport Wildlife Hazard Working Group, Somers Historical Society, White Plains Beautification Foundation, Master Gardener with Cornell Cooperation Extension, Westchester Federated Conservationists of Westchester (FCWC), and Save the Sound.
The following are some examples of specific staff active participation:
Dan Aitchison, Senior Curator – Dan is a member of the Beaver Institute and New York Beaver Coalition and performed a site assessment and recommendations regarding flood mitigation in Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park in Putnam County.
Grover Alexander, Greenkeeper – Grover is a member of the Hudson Valley Golf Course Superintendents Association (HVGCSA), is a past president and served on their Tournaments and Events Committees and Scholarship Board.
Taro Ietaka, Program Administrator (Park Management) – Taro is a steering committee member of the Lower Hudson Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management Species (LHPRISM) and chair of its Beech Leaf Disease working group, and recently spoke at the NYS Invasive Species Expo on “A Rapid, Collaborative Response to Beech Leaf Disease in the Lower Hudson Valley.” He is a certified International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Arborist and member of the NYS Arborists, and past-president of the Connecticut-Westchester Mycological Association (COMA) and current walks coordinator.
Kyle Peterson, Recreation Supervisor – Kyle is a member of the WRAPS Awards and Scholarship Committee which is responsible for the review, evaluation, and selection of award winners.
Agency Evidence of Compliance:
4.6.2 – EOC 1 PRC Staff Professional Affiliations List
4.6.2 – EOC 2 PRC Staff Professional Certifications List
4.6.2 – EOC 3 Beaver Management Assistance Request Fahnestock
4.6.2 – EOC 4 HVGCSA Past Presidents
4.6.2 – EOC 5 LHPRISM Invasive Species Management
4.6.2 – EOC 6 NYS Expo Beech Leaf Disease Hudson Valley Talk Calendar
4.6.2 – EOC 7 ISA Tree Assessment Form
4.6.2 – EOC 8 COMA Guidelines for Walk Leaders
4.6.2 – EOC 9 WRAPS Scholarship & Awards Committee