Be A Champion!

by Todd Brown

Site Operations Manager, Resource Management Division

Fairfax County Park Authority

VRPS Northern Service Area 2016 Chair

A champion is a leader, and the Northern Service Area is seeking them.  VRPS provides wonderful services that benefit us as Recreation and Park professionals. VRPS is our best resource to share ideas, benchmark progress among our neighbors, and develop profitable working relationships. The strange thing is that, to some agencies and among many folks, it remains a secret. Why?  I think it is because there needs to be more participation. Once you are involved in a service group or resource group, attend a conference or workshop, and simply converse with other professionals, your eyes open to the benefits of VRPS.  I can honestly say that when I got involved in the NSA, I feel my professional career began moving at a higher level.

Todd Brown, 2016 NSA Chair

The Northern Service Area has developed positions called NSA Champions. They are liaisons among the NSA, VRPS and their agency. They are promoters, communicators and supporters. Mostly, they are leaders.  What is their responsibility?  Very simply, they serve as their agency’s representative to NSA. Each Champion reaches out to their agency’s leadership and ask for news, updates, events, and accomplishments to share with the other agencies in VRPS at the NSA meetings. The Champions also relay NSA and VRPS information back to their agencies.

A Champion is a name and a face through which the NSA can communicate to every agency in the service area. The Champion is a critical part of the service area’s leadership, serving as the contact person to transfer information to his or her agency. That information can be distributed in many ways. The Champion does not have to attend every meeting or event. We realize that plates are full and want to accommodate our Champions’ schedule as much as possible.    Each agency needs to be aware of and participate in all of the wonderful things that the NSA and VRPS provide towards developing us as professionals. It is a benefit to us and a responsibility of each agency.

On behalf of the Northern Service Area of VRPS, I ask for your assistance to help NSA reach its strategic goal of increasing membership and participation.  If you are a VRPS member and want to be a NSA Champion, please let your agency director and the NSA know. If you are that agency director, name your next leader and NSA Champion. The goal is for every park agency in the Northern Service Area to be represented and participate.  Please promote NSA participation to your workforce and be a “NSA Champion.” If you need more information, please contact Membership Committee Chair Todd Brown, Fairfax County Park Authority, at 703-324-8676 or todd.brown@fairfaxcounty.gov.