CAPRA Series, #6: CAPRA Standards: Developing Your Self-Assessment Report

Jayne Miller is the CEO and founder of Jayne Miller Consulting where she brings 35+ years of experience leading and managing parks and recreation agencies along with her dedicated work addressing diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in the field over the past 20 years. 

She has served as Chair of World Urban Parks since September 2018 and has been a board member since the inception of World Urban Parks in 2015.  She has helped lead the organization’s growth with fellow board members and the organization’s CEO and Secretariat.

From February 2018 – October 2020, Jayne served as President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy (PPC), the non-profit partner to the City of Pittsburgh. During 2018 and 2019, Jayne lead the Conservancy’s work on the Restoring Pittsburgh Parks Initiative including the development of The Parks Plan, a long-term equitable investment strategy for the Pittsburgh Parks System, and the successful parks referendum on the November 2019 ballot, dedicating an additional $10M a year to Pittsburgh Parks for implementing The Parks Plan.  

Prior to her time in Pittsburgh, Jayne served as the Superintendent of the nationally renowned and CAPRA accredited Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB), November 2010 – February 2018. Under Jayne’s leadership the MPRB was recognized by the Trust for Public Land as the #1 Park System six years running, 2013-2018, and as a National Gold Medal Award Finalist three years, 2016-2018.  Jayne successfully led the organization’s efforts in developing and implementing equitable investment strategies for all MPRB capital & rehabilitation projects, recreation center funding, and an organization-wide Racial Equity Action Plan to address racial and economic equity needs across the park system.  In 2015 and 2016 Jayne championed and led the organization’s efforts developing and implementing the 20-Year Neighborhood Park Plan, 20-year equitable re-investment plan for the park system’s 160 neighborhood parks, and securing $11M annually for 20 years to implement the 20-Year Neighborhood Park Plan. 

Under Jayne’s leadership, the PPC and the MPRB have been recognized for their work on social equity.  The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy is the recipient of the National Recreation and Park Association’s 2020 Innovation in Social Equity Award and the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society’s 2020 Award of Excellence for the Restoring Pittsburgh Parks Initiative. The MPRB received the Minnesota Recreation and Park Association’s 2017 Award of Excellence for the 20-Year Neighborhood Park Plan.

Jayne also serves on the board of City Parks Alliance, is a board member and faculty with the Indiana University Executive Development Program, and is Chair of World Urban Parks.  She also is a CAPRA Commissioner, Director of the Park Foundation School, and an American Academy of Park and Recreation Administration Fellow.   

Jennifer G. Schleining, CAPRA Accreditation Manager for the National Recreation and Park Association, oversees the strategic direction and day to day operations for the CAPRA Accreditation Program including management of the accreditation process for agencies and related educational programming.  She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History with a minor in Classical Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a Master of Arts degree in Curatorial Studies and Art in Contemporary Culture from Bard College, Center for Curatorial Studies and a Certificate in Meeting and Event Planning from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Continuing Education Department. Prior to NRPA Jennifer served for 5 years as a Credentialing Services Specialist for the American Society of Appraisers.  Prior to that she held various fundraising and development positions for organizations including The Corcoran Gallery of Art, the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Give a Note Foundation, Tudor Place Historic Home and Garden and The Madeira School.