Park Access Learning Series: Integrating the Park Access Standard into City Plans

Jared Mummert is a Community and Environmental Resilience Program Manager at NRPA and a recent graduate from George Mason University's Schar School of Policy and Government with a Masters of Public Administration and Environmental Science and Public Policy. With nearly 5 years at NRPA, Jared has led work on community engagement, the history of equity in parks and recreation and creating equitable access to inclusive, resilient park spaces. Prior to his time at NRPA, Jared worked as a political and community outreach organizer on multiple campaigns, including organizing farmers in Maryland to close loopholes in the Clean Water Act, engaging Colorado voters in the 2014 midterm election and working to connect low-income families to national parks. Jared has also served in the Student Conservation Association, AmeriCorps, and the National Park Service as park ranger for multiple sites, including Grand Teton National Park. As an avid outdoorsman and public lands advocate, Jared integrates environmental justice into all of his work to ensure everyone has access to high-quality parks and greenspaces.

Catherine is the planning and community relations coordinator at Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation and one of the department’s team leads in garnering meaningful community engagement. She has four years of experience in outreach, communications, grant writing and strategic planning. In her time with the City, she has helped leverage over $5.4 million for capital projects and community programming.

Karie is the Grand Rapids Parks Project Manager and responsible for overseeing the management and implementation of the department's annual capital investments. She is also responsible for the management of the public outreach and engagement process that drives the department's investments in the community. Karie was a speaker at the Detroit MParks conference in 2018 on Master Plan engagement.

Stacie Anaya is the Director of the City of Lewisville Parks and Recreation Department.  She has been with the Department since 2017 and is leading the city's effort to Extend the Green - ensuring every resident lives with a 10-Minute Walk to a Park. Prior to joining the team in Lewisville, she served as the Assistant Director of the Corpus Christi Parks  Recreation Department, and the Director of the Eagle Pass Parks and Recreation Department.  She began her career in Parks  Recreation with the National Gold Medal Winning Austin Parks and Recreation Department.  Stacie has been a member of Texas Recreation and Park Society since 1999 and has served in various capacities on the Board of Directors.  She currently serves on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Departments State Park Advisory Committee and was inducted into the American Academy of Park and Recreation Administration in 2020. She holds two degrees from Southwest Texas State University (now known as Texas State University): a Bachelors of Arts Degree in History and a Masters Degree in Public Administration. In her free time Stacie likes going for long bike rides, working out at the gym, traveling to new places, as well as hanging out with her husband Pete, his daughter Katie, their dogs Tuffy and Peanut and a small legion of great friends and family.  She lives by the motto The World Needs Play, a value her family instilled in her from a young age.