Developing a Parks and Recreation Master Plan

NOTE: Please download the "Master Plan Breakout Prompts" document under "Content" prior to the course.


This session focuses on defining the nature and intent of a park and recreation master plan and its relationship with other plans. The session will discuss how to develop a master plan while engaging the community in the process with the goal of forming a strategy for implementation and financial management. This session will explore the many elements that are included in a system wide master plan. An integral part includes community engagement, with attention given to diversity, equity, and inclusion. A successful master plan details both capital and operating recommendations, and the tools necessary to successfully operationalize the plan.  

Objectives:

1. Identifying the components of a park and recreation master plan.

2. Examining the strategies involved in developing, implementing, and supporting master plans.

3. Designing a master plan process that aligns with the mission of parks and recreation with community needs.

Barbara Heller

Senior Consultant, BerryDunn

Barbara Heller is a Senior Consultant/Practice Lead for Parks and Recreation with BerryDunn, starting in June 2019.  Previously she was President of Heller and Heller Consulting, LLC, a management consulting firm specializing in state and local government, primarily in the parks and recreation industry.  Her areas of specialty include: strategic planning, master planning, service quality assessments, operational/organizational reviews, leadership development, facilitation of public input processes, and staff training with clients all over the United States. 

She has additional consulting experience with Sasaki Associates and PROS Consulting and has been performing client focused consulting engagements for 13 years. 

Previous to consulting experience, Barbara spent over 30 years working at the local government level with a variety of park systems.   She was the Executive Director of the Naperville Park District and Elk Grove, Park District, both in Illinois. Heller has held other positions with municipal government organizations in Arlington, TX, Montgomery County, MD and Prince William County, VA.  

Her education background includes a master’s degree in public administration from the American University in Washington, D.C. and a bachelor’s degree from the Pennsylvania State University.  

She has presented at state and national conferences for the last 25 years.

Components visible upon registration.