#PPRStaff

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Honoring Parks & Rec’s arborists

An art exhibit in City Hall honors the hard-working and passionate men and women who care for our city's trees and forests.

The exhibit, titled "The Arborists of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation: Growing and Caring for Our Urban Forest,” can be found on the second floor of City Hall, outside the mayor's office. 

The primary focus of the exhibit is a collection of portraits of Parks & Rec’s Urban Forestry Unit and Ecosystem Management Unit staff. Photographer Sabina Louise Pierce captured the special relationship between Philadelphia Parks & Recreation arborists, the trees they care for, and the tools of their trade.

In addition to the portraits, the exhibit includes:

a display case with information about the team’s work

examples of a custom soil mix from Greenland Nursery

lumber milled from trees felled by our staff in the park system.

The arborists of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation are charged with the growth and care of the city’s urban forest. This includes 10,250 acres of park land and 117,000 trees along the city streets. 

Their work includes:

growing trees at Greenland Nursery in Fairmount Park

planting and caring for our young forest

removing dead and hazardous trees

These men and women are passionate, hardworking, and proud of the work they do to keep Philadelphia’s trees healthy and its citizens safe. Please visit City Hall before May 10th to see the portraits that honor these dedicated civil servants. 

The arborists honored include (click on name to see portrait):

Lori Hayes

Max Blaustein

Joe Toohey

Dave Cupps

Ben Stanko

Erica Smith Fichman

Curtis Helm (retired)

Chris Johnson

Anthony Holiday

Sean Hubbard

Jose Melendez

Jose G. Melendez

Mark DeLoach

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New Facebook group provides ideas & support for Pennsylvania parks & rec staff

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation’s Joshua Bell recently completed the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society's (PRPS) inaugural Leadership Development Academy. One of his class assignments has provided a valuable new resource for Pennsylvania parks and recreation staff: a Facebook page.

Josh, Park Manager 2 in Parks & Rec’s Operations & Landscape Management unit, is active in PRPS. This nonprofit organization brings together Pennsylvania parks and recreation professionals and advances the profession through legislative lobbying.

PRPS’s Leadership Academy debuted this year. It was created for PRPS members identified as emerging leaders. Josh was joined by seven other municipal employees from across Pennsylvania. 

During the 13-week certificate program participants:

completed self-guided lessons.

attended a 2-day in-person workshop at PRPS headquarters.

read John C. Maxwell’s book, The Five Levels of Leadership.

Josh found the experience valuable. “I have been able to utilize concepts learned from the lessons in my day-to-day work. I was able to network with other professionals, learn from other’s experiences, and personally grow my professional skills.”

One of Josh’s final class assignment’s was to review PRPS’s strategic plan and implement an aspect of their marketing strategy. Josh focused creating a forum where Pennsylvania park and recreation staff could “safely share work-related stories, ask relevant questions, seek assistance, and work through any difficulties they may be experiencing.”

The result is a Facebook page titled “What’s Up P + R?!” The closed group (you must request to join) welcomes parks and recreation staff to “share the good, the bad, and the helpful in a safe space for like-minded professionals!”

All Pennsylvania parks and recreation professionals are welcome. After joining, members are encouraged to post “comments, questions, or stories that celebrate your professional prowess!”

Check it out today! Request to join the group (requires Facebook account).

___________________

Break out of your silo

The text below is excerpted from one of Josh Bell’s assignments for PRPS’s Leadership Academy, described above.

By Joshua Bell, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation

Each year, the Philadelphia International Unity Cup tournament brings together many different cultures around the common language of soccer. Last year was my first time working the Unity Cup tournament, and it was an absolute joy. Not only could I gain comp time to watch a soccer tournament, but more importantly, I got to socialize with peers from other divisions. 

In a large department like Parks & Recreation, with 4 major divisions and 700 employees, the event allowed me to gain a greater perspective of what “the other side” deals with.

It is so refreshing to see and hear all of the different cultures throughout the tournament. My involvement with the Unity Cup has gone beyond just simply a worker, and transformed me into an observer, absorber, and socializer of working culture. 

I highly suggest if you have multiple divisions in your township/municipality/ organization that you break out of that silo as often as possible. Go talk to someone in another department, 'that guy/gal from public works' could become Joe/Jill Doe who happens to work for Public Works. 

Expand your purview, you will be surprised how powerful it can be.

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A standing “O” for Fred Jenkins

For more than 45 years Fred Jenkins, Recreation Leader 1, has run the Athletic Boxing Club, a.k.a., the “ABC Gym” at Athletic Recreation Center.  During that time, he’s helped turn neighborhood kids into boxing champions. As of this month, he has officially retired.

Athletic’s boxing gym walls are filled with memorabilia that record the accomplishments of those Fred mentored. Among his most notable pupils were Olympic Gold Medalist David Reid and IFB Champ ‘Choo Choo’ Charlie Brown.

Fred’s commitment to the program grew out of love for his neighborhood, “I’m proud to have been able to give back to the community where I was born and raised,” he said. Fred estimates that he has now trained in excess of 2,000 fighters.

In honor of his retirement, Fred received a plaque during the recent Lucien Blackwell Boxing Tournament. During the presentation, Parks & Rec’s Sports & Athletics Program Coordinator, Michael Grubb, acknowledged Fred’s contributions to Athletic, the surrounding neighborhood, and to Philadelphia boxing. Grubb noted that “Fred wanted to help give the kids from the neighborhood a chance to do something positive for themselves.”  

Above: Fred Jenkins (center), flanked by Sports & Athletics Coordinator Michael Grubb, and the enthusiastic winner of this year’s female bout.

After the event, Grubb said, “Fred is one of the most well-liked and respected trainers in the business. It was something to see everyone, including the ringside doctor and the officials and scorekeepers from USA Boxing, giving Fred an extended standing ovation.”

Congratulations Fred, we wish you well!

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Parks & Rec social media superstar wins grand prize!

Congratulations to Parks & Rec’s Steve Schmidt for winning the National Recreation and Park Association Annual Conference #BMore Social Media Contest! 

The NRPA conference is a special opportunity for parks and recreation staff from across the country to connect and interact. Over 8,000 people annually attend to learn and discuss how they can make their parks and rec centers better. This year’s conference took place in Baltimore, MD.

This was the first time that Steve, Recreation Leader 2 at Towey Playground, attended the conference. To win the prize, Steve shared social media posts about:

a new friend

a video in the exhibit hall

a cool thing he found in the city

the NRPA Membership Booth

something that inspired him that week

the Closing Session and his favorite lesson learned

Steve’s prize is a 2020 NRPA Annual Conference full package registration. We look forward to hearing what is in store for Steve at the Conference in 2020!

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Kicking Into Gear with Sustainable Land Care Training

This fall, Parks & Rec’s training program dove into developing its maintenance workforce with a training session.

Participants received:

a grand tour of the Fairmount Park Organic Recycling Center. 

updates about the city’s “Zero Waste & Litter” progress.

training on the operation, safety, and maintenance of several pieces of equipment. 

The staff in attendance appreciated the blend of demonstrations by experts and hands-on practice. Among the positive feedback were comments including "this is honestly the best training I've ever had" and "can we do this again next month?"

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Parks & Rec receives Seven Seals Award

On July 29, Patrick R. Heron, South East Representative for the Pennsylvania Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR-PA), visited the department to present the Seven Seals Award. The award recognizes organizations that support the men and women who serve in the National Guard and Reserve.  

ESGR-PA’s Patrick R. Heron presents the award to Parks & Rec’s Human Resources Professional Job Alexis (left) and Deputy Commissioner Marissa Washington (right). Job is a member of the 201st RED HORSE Squadron Det. 1 at the Horsham Air Guard Station.

The award’s name derives from the the seals of America’s seven National Guard and Reserves.

Read more about the award.

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A tip of the CAP to 13 program graduates

The Community Apprenticeship Program (CAP) is a workforce development program. CAP helps Parks & Rec's seasonal staff find careers in the parks and recreation field. The program focuses on technical and workplace readiness training.

The program assesses organizational and individual needs to:

identify gaps in knowledge, skills, and abilities.

address gaps through targeted training and development.

provide opportunities for full-time civil service employment.

On June 4, 13 CAP members graduated and received completion certificates. 10 graduates will work for Philadelphia Parks & Recreation in these roles:

1 departmental aide

2 tree maintenance helpers

7 outreach workers

The CAP leadership team is proud of the accomplishments of all the CAP members. The second cohort of CAP will begin in September 2019.

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Parks & Rec employees honored for contributions to soccer

On May 11, two Parks & Rec employees were honored by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Soccer Hall of Fame. Steve Schmidt and Bill Salvatore were recognized for their contributions to the game.

Steve Schmidt, Rec Leader 2, was honored with the Chick Fallon Service to Soccer Award for his 38 years of dedication to the game. Steve is a 24-year employee of the department and currently the supervisor at Towey Playground.

He started playing at Olney Recreation Center at age eight. His coaching career began at 14. At 15, he was the youngest person to receive a USSF coaches license. Steve coached at three different high schools and has started soccer programs at ten Parks & Rec facilities across the city. He is currently a member of the Indoor Soccer Committee and the Executive Committee of the Philadelphia International Unity Cup.

Steve recently started the non-profit Cardinal Dougherty Soccer Alumni. The group raised over $30,000, which it has awarded as scholarships to high school soccer players and local soccer clubs. For the past two years, the group has also served as the main sponsor of Parks & Rec’s Outdoor All-Star Game. 

Bill Salvatore, Unity Cup Director, was awarded the Paul Stilley/Little Club Award as the Administrator of the Year. Bill has single-handedly put this tournament on the map. The Philadelphia International Unity Cup is a World Cup-style tournament held over several months. It unites the city’s neighborhoods and celebrates its diverse immigrant communities through soccer. 

Bill has been working with other large cities to duplicate the success found here in Philadelphia. He has also been honored by City Council and other agencies for his hard work and dedication.

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Philly Phanatic’s new gig?

On Saturday, May 11, Parks & Rec’s tree crew briefly hosted a new member. The Philly Phanatic stopped by to assist the crew as they were doing tree trimming and clearing along Forbidden Drive in Wissahickon Valley Park.

Although the Phanatic proved a bit green in terms of tree knowledge, he was energetic and eager to embrace his new team members.

Tree Maintenance Worker Kenny Palmer greets the Phanatic. 

Jim Moffett, Tree Maintenance Crew Chief, poses with the Phanatic.

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Best wishes for Cheryl Hardy

By Beth Perkowski, Program Manager 

District 6 and the Hank Gathers Recreation Center community extend our deepest gratitude and best wishes to Cheryl Hardy, who has retired after having been the backbone of Gathers for the past 40 years.  

Miss Cheryl served as a Recreational Specialty Instructor and volunteered many additional hours at the center. She has been a tremendous guide to the youth in this North Philadelphia community. She has offered many programs to help build character and teach good citizenship through problem solving and teamwork. 

Miss Cheryl shared her coaching skills both on the courts and in the playgrounds. Thousands of kids have gone through her day camps and played for her many teams. She was a great many things to a great many people. 

The biggest gift Miss Cheryl has left us with is her love. For anyone of us who has had the privilege of working alongside Miss Cheryl, we will always remember her dedication and love for the people in the Hank Gathers community. She is truly “one in a million” and will be deeply missed. 

In 2018, Miss Cheryl was honored to be named a Health Hero Challenge semifinalist. Read her health and wellness advice.

Congratulations, Miss Cheryl. We wish you the best of everything and will do our best to continue your legacy for the people of Philadelphia.

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Staff Profile: Terri Kerwawich

Terri Kerwawich is a program director at Parks & Rec. In this position, Terri oversees:

Playstreets

Food program

WorkReady

Programming for older adults

Outdoor Experience program

Terri’s career with Parks & Rec started in 1976, when she gave out summer lunches as a Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) employee. Now, as a program director, her job has come full-circle, as she oversees Playstreets, a summer program that gives kids a safe place to play as well as daily lunches or snacks.

In her 42 years with Parks & Rec, Terri has worked at various recreation centers, moved around to several districts, and overcome many professional challenges. Recently, we asked her to reflect on her work and experiences.

On her favorite part of the job

In both her current position and past work, Terri has loved working with children. Most meaningful to her is:

Seeing young students grow, mature, and gain self confidence during their time in the WorkReady program

Making sure kids have access to healthy meals through the food program

Watching kids at recreation centers start coming as young children,seeing them grow up, and providing them a safe, fun place to hang out.

On female leadership in the department

For Terri, there were a few female gurus in her own career:

One female rec leader in a sea of male leaders when she was growing up had a big influence, leading sports Terri played and helping her get her first summer job.

After Terri got her first permanent job, she had a female supervisor who encouraged her toplan ahead and helped set up a proper retirement plan.

Delores M. Andy, Philadelphia's first female Department of Recreation commissioner, stuck up for Terri when she faced backlash in a community after getting promoted.

Continuing the tradition, Terri has tried to act as a mentor to female PPR employees who may have questions or need to bounce ideas off someone.

Additionally,Terri guided girls at her facilities to get involved with sports and other activities. Terri shared, “With young girls, if you can keep them in activities (not just hanging out), you can keep them on the right path.”

Favorite memories with Parks & Rec: as both a kid and an employee

A natural athlete, Terri participated in lots of Parks & Rec programming as a youth, specifically at Vare Recreation Center. A story she is happy to share is that she competed in a 1979 Pepsi Hot Shot Basketball competition at a recreation center… and was a national champ!

As far as her biggest accomplishments as an employee, she is particularly proud of last year’s WorkReady program. The summer project for youth workers was a fundraiser for a charity of their choosing. A huge success, the program raised over $23,000 in six weeks, and gave teens the opportunity to do good work in their communities, learn project management skills, and be creative.

In addition, her past work as a rec leader will always be memorable. She loved to show kids new experiences or skills, saying that “as a rec leader, the possibilities are endless if you want to try new things— arts, certain sports. You get to have fun with the kids while teaching them. I personally started the sport stacking program and got to take kids out to Colorado for the National Sport Stacking Championship in 2007.”

Terri has committed her career to Parks & Rec and truly believes in the power of local recreation centers and their effects on communities. 

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Staff Profile: Lindsey Gaydosh

Lindsey Gaydosh started her career as a lifeguard at Samuel Recreation Center under Jamie Lohse Miller. As a lifeguard under the mentorship of Jamie, Lindsey became more immersed in the everyday life of Parks & Rec. 

As with much of our homegrown talent, Lindsey became an Assistant Recreation Leader (ARL) and took her talents to Belfield Recreation Center. During her time learning from Eric Rudy, Lindsey assisted with the after-school program.

Belfield was going through a transition period at that time, so Lindsey's career took a turn that would propel her into a full-time position. Lindsey spent some time split between Belfield and Kendrick Recreation Center until she became a full-time Recreation Leader Trainee (RLT) under the mentorship of Shane Martin at Kendrick. 

At Kendrick, Lindsey quickly felt at home and jumped right into ongoing programming, such as after-school and summer camp. She used her talents to add an arts program as well as a cooking class. Both of these were well-received by the community. Lindsey's crowning achievement in her young career was the implementation of "Girls on the Run," a program that uses running to motivate and inspire girls in the community. 

Lindsey's reach in the community goes beyond her time at Kendrick. She was instrumental in helping to implement the "Rock Your Socks" campaign for Down syndrome awareness, which she hopes to make a yearly program. And every Tuesday morning, Lindsey volunteers as a phys ed teacher at Roxborough Christian School, where she was named “Teacher of the Week” in October.

As her supervisor Shane Martin summed it up, “Lindsey, or Miss Lindsey as she is known to the kids around Kendrick, has been an impactful member of the rec and Roxborough community since her arrival in the summer of 2016... her volunteer work is just another way she goes above and beyond for her job!”

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Schmidt Playground wins recycling award

By Daniel Lawson, Sustainability & Quality Control Manager

On July 25, a small team from Parks & Rec’s Sustainability & Quality Control unit and City of Philadelphia partner Recyclebank visited Schmidt Playground’s summer camp in North Philadelphia.

The Sustainability team visited Recreation Leader Tammy Harrity and her camp to perform a scheduled recycling audit. This is a seasonal inspection performed to measure how well recycling bins are being used. 

But before the audit could begin, the team engaged with the 30 campers as part of their outreach initiative at parks and recreation centers. Campers lined up to answer questions about recycling and play games to win prizes. Students at Schmidt Playground, aged 7 to 12, were able to answer even the trickiest of questions. Many adults often get these wrong, proving the campers have a great education about sustainability.

After a few rounds of games, the guests revealed the true purpose of their visit. Tammy and her facility were the winners of a two-month challenge held by Recyclebank and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. The challenge was to record the most logins and digital earns on Recyclebank’s online education platform. 

Tammy was the winner out of the 17 recreation centers in her district. Her prize was a certificate from Recyclebank and a $200 gift card for Dick’s Sporting Goods for the playground. Not to mention the pride of being the most engaged rec center in the district’s newly launched recycling program!

A special moment happened when the Streets Department’s recycling truck came by. The truck stopped 20 feet in front of the playground to pick up the stacks of cardboard, plastic, and paper and load them into the compactor. The audit showed 0% contamination. Tammy raised her arms and cheered, in victory and in appreciation for the recycling truck coming at that moment.

The ceremony wrapped up with a prize for every camper. Parks & Rec Sustainability & Quality Control and Recyclebank team had a great time celebrating Tammy and Schmidt Playground!

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Staff Profile: Gina Batavick

If you’ve visited a Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR) playground or rec center, you’ve probably met a Recreation Leader. These staffers are on the front lines of PPR: planning and coordinating activities, working with youth, and identifying how our rec centers can better serve their communities. The role includes a variety of responsibilities, but for Rec Leader 3 Gina Batavick, it’s all about the kids: “My favorite part of the job is interacting with the kids. I’ll have ten kids in my office at any given time, coloring or playing. I’d rather be with the kids than doing anything else; of course, I can’t always do that, but that’s what I like.”

Gina’s been with PPR for 10 years now, working her way up through the rec leader ranks during her time at Vogt Recreation Center, Torresdale Playground, and now Vare Recreation Center. While she’s always wanted to work with kids, she didn’t originally plan on doing so with PPR: she studied education and psychology in college, with the goal of becoming a family therapist, before taking the test to become a Recreation Specialty Instructor with the department.

As the top-ranking rec leader at Vare, Gina is responsible for the daily operation of a particularly busy center. She starts her day checking emails and phone calls, getting back to visitor requests as soon as possible. After that, she has a bit of time to prep before the arrival of after schoolers, many of whom stay at Vare until the center closes: “At Vare, I’m on the go the whole eight hours I’m there because most of our kids just stay until 9, 9:30, either hanging out or participating in the programs we have.”

While kids are welcome to just hang out at Vare, there’s plenty of programming to keep them occupied. Popular options include the Teen Center, video game club, basketball, and movie nights. Gina gives a special shout-out to the gymnastics program, sharing, “Our program is huge and the girls are phenomenal. I’m not just saying that because I’m the rec leader -- they really are that good!...I love going to the gymnastics meets and seeing how my girls are getting the skills that they practice so hard at.” In addition to programming on-site, Gina relishes opportunities to broaden kids’ horizons -- attending baseball and basketball games, plays, or even just visiting other playgrounds -- noting that, “it’s so important for kids to realize there are places beyond their block, their neighborhood.”

Working with PPR has also helped Gina experience the city in a new way. While she was born and raised in Philadelphia, her role as a rec leader has introduced her to new neighborhoods and sites… and re-introduced her to old favorites. Working at Vare brought her to Grays Ferry for the first time, but she’s also been able to revisit (and develop a new appreciation for) a few familiar places: “I played softball at FDR Park growing up, and it’s always cool to visit...I used to go take walks up at Pennypack, and you don’t even realize you’re next to Rhawn or some of these big streets when you’re walking through the park. Some of our larger parks, you don’t feel like you’re in the city when you’re there.” Another new experience? “Playground envy. It’s something I never even noticed until was in the department, but now I’ll go somewhere new and I get jealous of their playground!”

Lately, Gina’s gotten more familiar with a new corner of the city: Vare recently closed for repairs, due to concerns about the structural integrity of the 100-year-old building, and Gina has been reassigned to Markward Playground for the time being. Vare’s many programs have also been temporarily relocated to other locations, and District 7 Program Manager Joe Brogan gives Gina kudos for her role in that process: “She handled the closure of Vare very well, helping to find space for programs to move and keeping participants and the community up-to-date on the situation as it unfolded. She has fit right in at her temporary assignment of Markward, while still managing to keep on top of anything Vare-related.” She looks forward to returning to Vare, which is due to reopen on Monday, December 4; in the meantime, she’s staying in touch with the kids, paying visits to the sites where they’ve been relocated.

She’s also sharing her skills at her new site. After a decade as a rec leader, Gina’s learned a few things about how to be successful in the role -- no matter where you’re located. As she shares, “You have to be flexible and able to wear different hats, because there are some times where I’m the strict boss, and there’s other times where I’m coloring with the kids, or making silly faces at them.” She stays focused on customer service, noting that in some ways, running a rec center is like running a small business: you have to meet users’ needs and provide positive experiences to keep folks coming back to your site. Whether at Markward, Vare, or wherever she ends up next, Gina brings a positive, kid-first attitude to PPR. 

If you see Gina or another PPR staff member the next time you’re out enjoying one of the city’s facilities, be sure to thank him or her for a job well done!