What happens when a summer job in a state park turns into a career dedicated to parks, conservation and community?
In this episode of The Foundation: A Parks People Podcast, NAPF Executive Director Kevin D. Korenthal, CAE, sits down with Chad Smith, Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Oxford, Ohio, and a member of the NAPF Board of Directors.
Chad shares the winding path that took him from Ohio State Parks to nonprofit conservation, county parks and ultimately back home to lead Parks and Recreation in Oxford. Along the way, he developed experience in park management, fundraising, public-private partnerships, sponsorships and launching a park foundation.
Kevin and Chad also discuss:
• Oxford's growing park system and 12-mile Oxford Area Trail System
• Plans for a new community recreation center
• The role of master planning in determining what's next for a park system
• Why professional networks and organizations like NAPF and NRPA matter
• What Chad learned from helping launch a park foundation
• Why park philanthropy is increasingly important as public budgets tighten
• How park foundations can help agencies turn major community projects into reality
Chad also shares why he believes having a resource like NAPF "in your corner" can make a difference, even for experienced park and recreation professionals.
If your community is considering starting or strengthening a park foundation, this conversation offers a park director's perspective on why the partnership matters.
Learn more about the National Association of Park Foundations at thenapf.org.
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#ParkFoundations #ParksAndRecreation #ParkPhilanthropy #PublicPrivatePartnerships #CommunityParks #NAPF
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