RecLess Podcast

Highlighted moments and reflections from Season 4 and a few hints about what is yet to come! Don't miss out on a special opportunity from our friends at National Recreation and Park Association! Click on the link below to find out how you could attend the NRPA National Conference in Orlando, FL for free!https://bit.ly/PRMGiveaway Shane Mize is the Director of Parks and Recreation in the city of Pflugerville, Texas, where he resides with his wife and children.Tom Venniro is the 11-year Director of Parks and Recreation in Hilton-Parma, New York, where he resides with his wife Melissa, son Jack, and daughter Amelia.Jay Tryon is an 18-year park and recreation professional who loves to improve communities and their quality of life. He currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and children.

John Prue Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Management and Program Analyst for Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, Bunny Allen MWR Management and Program Analyst for Navy Region Northwest speak to the mission, unique opportunities, similarities, and differences of working in military recreation.For more information about the National Recreation and Parks Association Armed Forces Recreation Network (AFRN) click here - http://bit.ly/3FNVH98For Navy MWR job listings click here - https://www.navymwr.org/careersShane Mize is the Director of Parks and Recreation in the city of Pflugerville, Texas, where he resides with his wife and children.Tom Venniro is the 11-year Director of Parks and Recreation in Hilton-Parma, New York, where he resides with his wife Melissa, son Jack, and daughter Amelia.Jay Tryon is an 18-year park and recreation professional who loves to improve communities and their quality of life. He currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and children.

Shonnda Smith - Executive Director of Parks & Public Services and Executive Director of Public Works- Mobile, AL - Discusses her three rules for success and happiness, advice that she gives young, and not so young, professionals to develop them into capable leaders, and steps that she uses to encourage professional growth. She also speaks to her experience of serving as a member on the National Recreation and Parks Board of Directors and various national committees, their impact, and work life balance. https://www.nrpa.org/about-national-recreation-and-park-association/leadership/board-of-directors/. Shane Mize is the Director of Parks and Recreation in the city of Pflugerville, Texas, where he resides with his wife and children.Tom Venniro is the 11-year Director of Parks and Recreation in Hilton-Parma, New York, where he resides with his wife Melissa, son Jack, and daughter Amelia.Jay Tryon is an 18-year park and recreation professional who loves to improve communities and their quality of life. He currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and children.

Maxime Pierre, MPA, CPRP - District Superintendent for the City of Ft. Worth, TX - highlights a new era of the Young Professional Network and making it their own, making big decisions early in a career, and being a young manager in the midst of a leadership change.Shane Mize is the Director of Parks and Recreation in the city of Pflugerville, Texas, where he resides with his wife and children.Tom Venniro is the 11-year Director of Parks and Recreation in Hilton-Parma, New York, where he resides with his wife Melissa, son Jack, and daughter Amelia.Jay Tryon is an 18-year park and recreation professional who loves to improve communities and their quality of life. He currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and children.

Stacie Anaya presents her three rules for success and happiness and speaks to a leadership style that has led to developing a program that is a contender for this year's national gold medal award, and scaling the department in a way that has led to excellence that extends to all departments in the city.Shane Mize is the Director of Parks and Recreation in the city of Pflugerville, Texas, where he resides with his wife and children.Tom Venniro is the 11-year Director of Parks and Recreation in Hilton-Parma, New York, where he resides with his wife Melissa, son Jack, and daughter Amelia.Jay Tryon is an 18-year park and recreation professional who loves to improve communities and their quality of life. He currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and children.

Kara Kish - Director of Parks and Recreation - Loveland, CO speaks to her unique leadership philosophy, resiliency, and experiences serving in various capacities around the country. She highlights her participation in the young professionals network of NRPA, being a woman in a male dominated field, and the principles that guide her beliefs and direction. Shane Mize is the Director of Parks and Recreation in the city of Pflugerville, Texas, where he resides with his wife and children.Tom Venniro is the 11-year Director of Parks and Recreation in Hilton-Parma, New York, where he resides with his wife Melissa, son Jack, and daughter Amelia.Jay Tryon is an 18-year park and recreation professional who loves to improve communities and their quality of life. He currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and children.

Stephen C. Bentley, CPRP - Director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, Raleigh, NC;speaks to saying yes to opportunity, building relationships and relying on other's expertise to reach greatness, programming and managing at a city level, and bringing innovation and revitalization to a city through the arts.Shane Mize is the Director of Parks and Recreation in the city of Pflugerville, Texas, where he resides with his wife and children.Tom Venniro is the 11-year Director of Parks and Recreation in Hilton-Parma, New York, where he resides with his wife Melissa, son Jack, and daughter Amelia.Jay Tryon is an 18-year park and recreation professional who loves to improve communities and their quality of life. He currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and children.

Cortney Weinstock, CPRE As Deputy Director of Administration for Baltimore County Recreation and Parks - she highlights stepping into various cities and programs around the US, and finding the common threads that make a professional effective and successful, the importance of a supportive family unit to a parks professional, and showing a new community that you care as you step in to bring new opportunities and programming.Shane Mize is the Director of Parks and Recreation in the city of Pflugerville, Texas, where he resides with his wife and children.Tom Venniro is the 11-year Director of Parks and Recreation in Hilton-Parma, New York, where he resides with his wife Melissa, son Jack, and daughter Amelia.Jay Tryon is an 18-year park and recreation professional who loves to improve communities and their quality of life. He currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and children.

This episode brought to you by Cody Brenner Design - https://www.codynbrenner.com/Lindsay Labas - VP of Marketing and Communications at 500 Festival, Inc. She highlights the differences and similarities of working for a nonprofit vs. a parks and recreation organization. She shouts out the systems and programs that make her job a little easier, and how she has taken past experiences into programming for new events and audiences. She also offers insight into organizing and recruiting volunteers, relaying information to large groups, and running massive events with a shoestring staff.500 Festival, Inc - https://500festival.com/Shane Mize is the Director of Parks and Recreation in the city of Pflugerville, Texas, where he resides with his wife and children.Tom Venniro is the 11-year Director of Parks and Recreation in Hilton-Parma, New York, where he resides with his wife Melissa, son Jack, and daughter Amelia.Jay Tryon is an 18-year park and recreation professional who loves to improve communities and their quality of life. He currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and children.

This episode brought to you by Cody Brenner Design - https://www.codynbrenner.com/Katie Dupont - Executive Director of Massachusetts Park and Recreation Association speaks to the responsibility of developing and educating new professionals in the field, and providing for smaller areas with a staff of one as a part time employee. She discusses staying the course, representing, developing, and providing for current members and maintaining a high expectation and level of education for her members. Massachusetts Parks and Recreation -https://www.mma.org/Shane Mize is the Director of Parks and Recreation in the city of Pflugerville, Texas, where he resides with his wife and children.Tom Venniro is the 11-year Director of Parks and Recreation in Hilton-Parma, New York, where he resides with his wife Melissa, son Jack, and daughter Amelia.Jay Tryon is an 18-year park and recreation professional who loves to improve communities and their quality of life. He currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and children.

This episode brought to you by Cody Brenner Design - https://www.codynbrenner.com/Edwin J. Rivera Guzman, CPRP - Chair of Hispanic Professionals in Parks & Recreation, current PhD student at Clemson, and a current park guide with National Park Service provides insight into the current landscape of parks at the Federal level, finding his way into the field and creating a space for and serving with Hispanic professionals at the national level. National Park Service - nps.govHispanic Professionals in Parks and Recreation https://www.hppr.online/NRPEMS - https://nrpems.org/National Recreation and Park Ethnic Minority SocietyShane Mize is the Director of Parks and Recreation in the city of Pflugerville, Texas, where he resides with his wife and children.Tom Venniro is the 11-year Director of Parks and Recreation in Hilton-Parma, New York, where he resides with his wife Melissa, son Jack, and daughter Amelia.Jay Tryon is an 18-year park and recreation professional who loves to improve communities and their quality of life. He currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and children.

RecLess 4, Ep 7 - Melissa Termine Battite, CPRP, Director of Recreation and Community Programs - Town of Lexington, MA and Nicholas Campion, Assistant Recreation Director - Danvers, MA. Recorded live at the 2025 Massachusetts Recreation and Park Association Annual State Conference. Melissa is a past president and Nick is the current Vice President of MRPA. They spoke to the importance of membership and networking, developing leaders, growing departments, and continuing great programs.Shane Mize is the Director of Parks and Recreation in the city of Pflugerville, Texas, where he resides with his wife and children.Tom Venniro is the 11-year Director of Parks and Recreation in Hilton-Parma, New York, where he resides with his wife Melissa, son Jack, and daughter Amelia.Jay Tryon is an 18-year park and recreation professional who loves to improve communities and their quality of life. He currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and children.

Meredith Lawrence, MPA, CPRE - Parks & Rec Director/Assistant Public Works Director, Mendota Heights, MN - highlights various mentoring styles, transitioning to public works, and creating culture in a department. Shane Mize is the Director of Parks and Recreation in the city of Pflugerville, Texas, where he resides with his wife and children.Tom Venniro is the 11-year Director of Parks and Recreation in Hilton-Parma, New York, where he resides with his wife Melissa, son Jack, and daughter Amelia.Jay Tryon is an 18-year park and recreation professional who loves to improve communities and their quality of life. He currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and children.

Paula Willis, CPRP - Parks and Recreation Director at South Fayette Township, PA speaks to funding and growing a small department, lessons learned, and aspirations in the field.Shane Mize is the Director of Parks and Recreation in the city of Pflugerville, Texas, where he resides with his wife and children.Tom Venniro is the 11-year Director of Parks and Recreation in Hilton-Parma, New York, where he resides with his wife Melissa, son Jack, and daughter Amelia.Jay Tryon is an 18-year park and recreation professional who loves to improve communities and their quality of life. He currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and children.

Anthony Iracki, MS, CPRP - CORE Professional Development Manager, PlayCore - highlights his affinity for professional development, personal branding, and promoting all aspects of parks and recreation in the public and private sector.Click here to learn more:https://anthonyinparks.com/Shane Mize is the Director of Parks and Recreation in the city of Pflugerville, Texas, where he resides with his wife and children.Tom Venniro is the 11-year Director of Parks and Recreation in Hilton-Parma, New York, where he resides with his wife Melissa, son Jack, and daughter Amelia.Jay Tryon is an 18-year park and recreation professional who loves to improve communities and their quality of life. He currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and children.