News and notes from MRPA Past President Dan Stencil:
Past Presidents Committee Spearheading Regional Group Collaboration
As a result of the 2013 MRPA Board Retreat, Past President Linda Walter, Vic Chiasson, and I volunteered to evaluate, organize, and implement a plan for aligning MRPA’s current six-region concept into one that parallels the governor’s 10 economic prosperity zones. To that end, there have been several meetings with representation from the existing regional groups to identify opportunities to streamline the work each performs.
Some of the initiatives that have been identified are:
- MRPA providing financial management and joint membership billing for the regional groups.
- Regional groups taking a leadership role in membership recruitment at the local level, targeting board members and new professionals.
- Professional networking opportunities.
- Professional development seminars to expand those opportunities beyond the annual conference.
If you are interested in participating in future meetings (generally prior to MRPA Board Meetings), contact the MRPA office at 517.485.9888.
MRPA Focused on Public Policy Advocacy
In recent years, the focus of MRPA has turned toward a greater emphasis on public policy advocacy. Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to represent MRPA in the Michigan Department of Natural Resources strategic land management planning, as well as most recently with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality campground regulations advisory committee. Ann Conklin, Chief Operating Officer, has advocated on numerous occasions the importance of MRPA being represented “at the table” as a key stakeholder to provide professional perspective and public policy input.
As a member of MRPA, I encourage you to seek out those opportunities where you can shape the future of our profession by getting involved. If you would like to be part of this type of advocacy, please contact or MRPA Public Policy Chairperson .