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Fall 2008 Newsletter

The Report, a newsletter for Recreation, Parks, & Tourism Administration, alumni, students and friends

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Message From The Coordinator

Dr. Bill Hendricks

Dr. Bill Hendricks with his Long Board SurfboardFall quarter always brings about the excitement of a new academic year as a fresh crop of students arrives at Cal Poly. As the economy and resulting squeeze on budgets affects many aspects of our lives, it also usually creates an increase in the number of students applying to universities nationwide. This was definitely the case for the RPTA program. For fall quarter 2008 we had 238 freshmen applicants, the highest number in the 30 plus year history of our program. The challenging aspect of this equation is that we only accepted 69 students (28.9% acceptance rate). What does this mean in terms of the quality of students attracted to the recreation, parks and tourism industries and our upcoming graduates? We are truly getting the cream of the crop of students in California and some very bright people will be representing our profession in the future!

Following discussions with our advisory council and two sessions with a strategic planning consultant, we are also pleased to announce the launching of RPTA’s new mission statement, vision, and tagline.

Mission: “To advance leadership and knowledge in recreation, parks, and tourism”
Vision: “Healthy lifestyles, memorable places, life-enhancing experiences”
Tagline: “Live it, protect it, explore it”

This approach will allow us to strategically move forward as we adapt to industry and societal trends.

Please know that I wish the best for our entire “RPTA family” as we embark upon the holiday season. And don’t forget, as my dad always said, “keep those cards and letters (emails) comin’.”

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REMINDER OF IMPORTANT WINTER QUARTER DATES

  • January 9 - Alumni Social, Cliffs, Pismo Beach
  • February 6 - Alumni Social, San Francisco
  • February 27 - RPTA Advisory Council Meeting, San Luis Obispo
  • February 28 - Auction and Dinner, San Luis Obispo
  • March 5 - Alumni Social, CPRS Conference, Santa Clara

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RPTA Donors July 07 - Oct. 08

The RPTA students, faculty, and staff would like to acknowledge the generosity of our numerous donors and sponsors over the past year. This support allows us to reach new heights in student and program development. Thank you!

Mount Whitney Level ($1,500 and over)
Individuals Corporate
Diane L. and Gary W. Moss Gary W. Moss DDS
Omer and Claudia King The Sence Foundation

 

Hall of Fame Level ($400-$1,499)
Individuals Corporate
Daniel P. and Linda G. Brunello Cass Winery
Mike and Tamara Hollingsworth Central Coast Bride
Robert and Kendi Root Pismo Coast Village RV Resort
Stacey M. Stanek  
Kirk Sturm  
Daniel and Kathleen Tonini  

 

Gala Level ($250-$399)
Individuals Corporate
Alice T. and Stephen M. Cass C. W. Grabowsky DDS
Charles W. and Nedra G. Grabowsky Hollingsworth Jewelers Gallery
Heidi D. Hodges Hospice du Rhone
Elizabeth A. and Richard Hunter J. Kenyon Rupnik, M.D.
Jay N. Jamison  
Brittany J. Jordan  
Bob and Kathee Kraker  
Daniel J. and Marylou R. Murphy  
Kenyon and Lauren Rupnik  
Caleb Siemon  

 

4-Star Level (Up to $249)
Individuals Corporate
Kathleen R. Allenbach and Phillip H. Kessler 15 Degrees C
Barbara Baggerly Best Western Shore Cliff Lodge and Resta
Becky W. Baker Camelbak Products
Ryan R. Baker Cline Cellars
Bernadette and Ralph D. Bardsley Cloudveil
James G. Battersby Cowboy Cookies N Grub
Bouvier L. and Eva M. Beale Dave Bang Associates Inc
Deborah L. and Hugh A. Bello Great Harvest Bread Company
Michael A. Bengford Green Acres Lavender Farm
Barbara and Patrick Briley Le Boulanger
Candace E. and Christopher S. Brown National Corporate Housing
John J. Bullaro and Cynthia D. Moyer National Outdoor Leadership School
Patricia L. Butier Petit Soleil
Deborah M. and Mark Buttress SeaVenture Resort
Alison R. and Douglas R. Carscaden Therapy
Jeff Chapin Tri-California Events, Inc.
Gloria D. and John G. Choma Wells Fargo & Company
Alexander Chucholowski and Carla J. Hernandez Woodruff-Sawyer & Company
Dianne and John Conner  
Mark Corella  
Christina M. D'Amico  
Jason M. Dallas  
Kathleen A. Daniels  
Jill M. and Gerald E. DeMers  
Bernard A. and Shirley Derech  
Steven and Linda Desimone  
Martin A. Desrochers  
Janell J. Diehl  
Joan C. and Tim Diestel  
Constance A. and Robert G. Dillard  
Ellen T. and Chesley M. Douglas  
Anne M. Dowd  
David R. and Tisa D. Dunker  
Sandra H. and Timothy K. Ender  
Miles C. Floyd  
Darren Y. Fujikawa  
Anne C. Giapapas  
Marni A. Goldenberg  
Amy L. Golladay  
Charlotte E. Gorton  
Brian and Jerusha Greenwood  
David J. and Kimberly A. Hauxhurst  
Heather M. Heider  
William W. and Margaret S. Hendricks  
DiAnna and H. D. Higginbotham  
Todd M. Hove  
Nathalie R. Humphry  
Jeffrey A. and Jennifer J. Jacobs  
Edward V. and Penny P. Jordan  
Jonathan W. and Barbara A. Korfhage  
Rik J. and Denise L. Kretzinger  
Kristi L. Kucera  
Jeff and Terry Lane  
Susanne A. Linnane  
Lisa D. Loring-Reynolds  
Melinda I. Lynch  
Terrence M. Lynch  
Pat and Sue Lyon  
John C. and Sheila M. Maher  
Richard L. and Janice D. Matteson  
Donna G. and Duane P. McRoy  
Lindsey N. Miller  
Cheryl R. and Leonard B. Miyahara  
Molly Q. Morrison  
Margaret M. Morton  
Anne and Scott Nelson  
Tom W. and Sherrie Ness  
Jamie M. Okazaki  
David W. and Kim R. Olsen  
Natalie R. Olsen  
Jeffrey G. and Susan T. Passeggi  
Karen D. Pecher  
Nancy E. Pedersen  
Douglas D. and Mary Piirto  
Helen L. and Walter N. Rehm  
Patti B. Remmenga  
Teresa Ricard  
Steven R. Rigler  
Judith A. and Ronald A. Ritter  
Erin M. Ross and Jon M. Garrison  
Amy A. Rossi  
Jacqueline M. Salamon  
Justin A. Schmillen  
Stephanie A. Schoen  
David R. and Julie A. Sears  
Carolyn B. Shank  
Christopher J. and Colleen Sichel  
Kimberly M. Sones  
Jody and Michael Tobin  
Christopher J. and Leslie H. Wallace  
Judith K. and Thomas P. Walters  
Mark M. White  
Alan and Elizabeth Wihtol  
Crystal L. and Richard A. Young  

 

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Learn-By-Volunteering

Concours d'Elegance, Avila Beach The RPTA Program takes great pride in helping students gain direct field experience through Cal Poly’s “Learn-by-Doing” motto. As RPTA students gain valuable experience with local organizations, they are also directly networking throughout the San Luis Obispo Community. Partnerships have been created with many local organizations such as:

  • EcoSLO
  • Hospice du Rhone
  • Morro Bay Harbor Festival
  • SLO Downtown Association
  • SLO Special Olympics
  • SLO Big Brothers/ Big Sisters
  • City of San Luis Obispo Parks and Recreation
  • YMCA
  • Woods Humane Society
  • Family Care Network
  • Los Osos Little League
  • SLO Home Show
  • Atascadero Parks & Recreation
  • Avila Beach Councourse d’elegance
  • Sea Fare
  • SLO Chamber of Commerce
  • Embassy Suites Hotel

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“Building a Field of Dreams” RPTA Auction

Save the date for a “Field of Dreams”Hey all you RPTA All Stars… you've been drafted!! Come on down from the stands and give us a hand. Save the date for this year's Recreation, Parks, & Tourism Administrations “Building A Field of Dreams” annual dinner and auction, Saturday, February 28, 2009 at Avila Beach Resort. Congratulations to Joe Prescott and Erin Cox whose art work and theme were chosen for this years' fundraiser. Root, root, root, for the home team! Dig up your favorite ball cap, round up your team and catch the opportunity to support RPTA! There is an alumni pre-game warm up (reception) at 4 p.m., and the big game starts at 5 p.m. with a special guest appearance for the first pitch. Rookie tickets (students) are $25 and Boosters (RPTA fans, parents, friends of the program) are $35. For more information please contact co-chairs Andrea McDonald or Mallory Woods or faculty chairs Kendi Root or Cynthia Moyer. You can also visit our website at Recreation, Parks, & Tourism Administration or contact the program office at (805) 756-1288 or rec@calpoly.edu. Invitations are forthcoming, and registration forms will be available online in late December. A block of hotels rooms are available at The Cliffs Resort at $149 rate, (805) 773-5000 and at Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort at $189 (800) 234-5831. You must call my January 28, 2009 and identify with Cal Poly RPTA. Let's Play Ball!

2008-2009 Fundraising Planning Committee
Position Names
Senior Project/Co-chair: Andrea McDonald
Co-chair: Mallory Woods
Emcees: Bill Hendricks and Brian Greenwood
Faculty Advisors: Kendi Root and Cynthia Moyer
Advisory Council Member: Jim Battersby
Alumni: Anne Giapapas, Molly Morrison, Kristina Brunello, Amanda Milholland, Ryan Baker, Linda Brunello
Committee Members: Davia Montoya, Teresa Karcher, Ashley Antonino, Brittany Jordan, Allison Dockery, Chelsea Buttress, Taylor Voorhis, Jeff Jacobs, Marni Goldenberg, Jerusha Greenwood
2nd Year Reps: Lara Choma and Dana Matteson
1st Year Reps: Kaitlyn Mullinax

 

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RPTA Advisory Council New Member Spotlights

Alison Jenks-TBA Global Vice PresidentAlison Smith Jenks:
Alison Smith Jenks brings 16 years of integrated marketing and communications experience to TBA Global. In her role as Vice President of Marketing, Alison is responsible for TBA’s worldwide brand strategy and oversees the marketing communications efforts for its offices throughout North America.

Her background includes communications and marketing work with clients in the healthcare, technology and consumer products industries. During her tenure she has managed sales meetings, media events, new product launches, trade shows, investor presentations and various consumer and trade promotions.

Markus Huber-Travelocity Senior Director of Partner MarketingMarkus Huber:
Markus Huber is Senior Director of Partner Marketing at Travelocity. Markus started his career at Travelocity in a strategic analysis role that helped Travelocity’s merchant hotel business grow to best-in-class in the online travel industry.

Markus is a native of Vienna, Austria and relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1989. He received his bachelor’s degree in hospitality management at the School of Tourism at Klessheim, Salzburg, Austria, and his MBA at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, CA. Markus started his travel industry career in the front office of the Intercontinental Hotel in Vienna, Austria. From there he moved on to leading the inbound incentive group department of Vienna’s leading DMC at the time, Austrobus. He worked with all of the most prestigious US incentive companies, including Maritz, GTU, Intrav, and many others. After establishing his expertise in the inbound business, he accepted a leadership position in an outbound business when he opened and managed the Austrian branch of the Danish language tour operator, Tjaereborg Sprogrejser, sending Austrian youth across the world for participation in foreign language vacations. After moving to the United States in 1989, Markus was office manager for Go America Tours in San Francisco.

Rick Lawrance-California Lodging Industry Association President/ CEORick Lawrance:
Rick Lawrance was named President/CEO of the California Lodging Industry Association in April 1999. A veteran of the California tourism industry, Rick brings vast experience to this professional organization dedicated to the common interests of lodging owners and operators.

Rick began his career in tourism in the early 1970’s, as Director of Tour Development for the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau. In 1975, he accepted the position of Executive Director for the Buena Park, California Visitor & Convention Bureau, and in 1978 was appointed by California Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. to re-establish the previously defunct State Tourism Office, serving as its director until 1981. He also headed a marketing representation and consulting company, TRAVMARK. From 1988 to 1995, Rick held the position of Executive Vice President/CEO of the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and Visitors & Convention Bureau, a 1200 member regional economic and visitor promotion agency. Rick later served as Vice President of Sales & Marketing for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, directing convention and leisure travel sales programs.

Rick holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Marketing from Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, and has pursued graduate studies at the University of Maryland in Public Administration and at the University of California, Los Angeles in Finance.

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Alumni Spotlight

Nellie AubeNellie Aube:
Nellie Aube was recently named Business Development assistant for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Cal Poly graduate (RPTA '07) has an enviable resume in sport management that is rivaled by few young professionals in the field. Her volunteer experience included stints with the startup National Golf League, Cal Poly Athletic Advancement Special Events, and ESPN Radio. Those valuable volunteer experiences led to a summer internship with the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and full time employment with the Marketing division of Cal Poly Athletics while finishing her college degree. Her move to the Warriors was made possible through outstanding sales performance as Account Manager for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). Nellie led the Insides Sales Department in total sales in 2007-2008 by over 70%. As if her short career was not already impressive enough, she also served as game day staff of the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) in the Hall of Fame luxury suite during the 2007 2008 season. Remarkably, Nellie has experience working with four major professional sport leagues and one intercollegiate athletics program in a little over two years of paid employment. Nellie credits the Cal Poly RPTA for encouraging her to obtain hands on experience starting as a freshman. Her advice to fellow RPTA Students is to utilize the combination of persistence and creativity when applying to jobs in sports, always follow-up, and to place yourself in the hiring manager's shoes.

Brendan GailBrendan Gail:
Brendan Gail was given the opportunity to work at Associated Students Incorporated (ASI) at the end of his freshman year at Cal Poly. The work he did at ASI has been one of the best experiences of his life. Brendan started as a Team Supervisor and over three years he worked his way up to the Student Manager of Event Management. Throughout his time at Cal Poly he had unbelievable support from the professors and supervisors. They pushed Brendan to take advantage of opportunities and explore every angle. During his second year he went to the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) conference and was introduced to campus recreation on a national level. Brendan found out that he could get Graduate School paid for if he secured a Graduate Assistantship (GA) in Campus Recreation. During the next couple of years he worked toward achieving that goal. He was able to secure a GA at San Diego State where Brendan completed his graduate degree in Sports Business Management. After graduation, in July 2008, Brendan interviewed and accepted a position at the University of Southern California (USC) Recreational Sports working with Intramurals and Club Sports. The advice that Brendan would give to current students is to take a look around and utilize your resources while you’re still in school. Cal Poly presents so many opportunities to ‘learn by doing’ and if you’re diligent, you can learn plenty about the ‘real world’ while you're still in school.

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Senior Spotlight

Kyle SchnurrKyle Schnurr:
Kyle Schnurr can’t begin to count all the opportunities that she has had as a result of being a RPTA major, especially her two spring break trips to Greece and Costa Rica with REC 412. From Kyle’s beginnings at Cal Poly she got involved on campus joining Delta Delta Delta, a social sorority, and the RPTA club. In addition, she worked with two different freshman orientation programs, Week of Welcome and the Open House Committee. With Open House, Kyle was part of the Campus and Community Relations team and was responsible for planning the Resource Fair available to prospective students during Open House. Her responsibilities continued to grow as she became President of Rho Phi Lambda, the RPTA major’s Honors Fraternity. Through this experience Kyle planned a Career Fair for RPTA majors and served as a student representative for the CPRS District 8 board, RPTA Advisory Council, and College Based Fee committee. At the same time, she was a committee member for Up Til Dawn, a letter writing campaign that raised about $10,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Four years have gone by so fast, but the fun won’t stop. Next quarter Kyle will be studying abroad in Australia and after graduating in June she hopes to intern with a City Parks and Recreation Department.

Shannon DereShannon Dere:
Graduating this spring, Shannon Dere has spent her last four years immersing herself in all that Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo has to offer. Much of her time has been devoted to her work in Campus Recreation and preparing for a career in the field.

Shannon has worked for the past three-and-a-half years for ASI on campus at the Recreation Center. She was first employed as an Intramural Basketball Referee before becoming an Event Student Supervisor in her second year where she was introduced to special events in Campus Recreation. It was not until her third year when she became the Student Manger of Event Operations that she realized her passion for Campus Recreation and her interest in pursuing it as a career.

Shannon attended the NIRSA annual conference in her third year, which took her all the way to Austin, Texas. Here she recognized the opportunity that graduate school could provide in Sports Management. She is currently the Student Manager of Facility Operations in Recreational Sports and plans to complete an internship through ASI to further prepare for a career in Campus Recreation.

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New Student Spotlight

William ReichensteinWilliam Reichenstein:
William Reichenstein is ecstatic to be a RPTA student. Traveling is one of Will’s favorite things to do. He has been to Scotland nine times, almost every Hawaiian Island multiple times, Canada twice, Costa Rica, and around the United States. In the near future, Will hopes to either study at University of Hawaii, or study abroad in Scotland.

Growing up, soccer was Will’s life, and it still is a part of him today. He is also an avid participant in the Hawaiian sport of outrigger canoe paddling, flat water kayaking, and stand up paddling. After graduating, Will plans to move into an Olympic training facility and eventually compete in future games for kayaking, as his father did before him.

Will’s goal this year is to compete in the Molokai Solo, an outrigger canoe race from the island of Molokai to Oahu, approximately thirty-eight miles. Will is motivated to pursue sports management as his concentration, and is excited for his future at Cal Poly.

Lindsey WongLindsey Wong:
Lindsey Wong is absolutely thrilled to be a RPTA student. Traveling is most definitely a passion of hers. She has been to Hong Kong, Italy, and continues her annual trip to Hawaii every summer to visit family.

In Spring of 2010, Lindsey plans to attend Cal Poly At Sea. By the end of college, she hopes to backpack through Europe, visit her brother in Korea, and witness the Northern Lights in Alaska. In order to visit as many places as possible, Lindsey also hopes to do the RPTA internship abroad, hopefully in a place such as Australia or London.

Growing up, cheerleading and dancing played a huge role in Lindsey’s life. Throughout her all star cheerleading years, she managed to land a spot on a team competing at the highest level. Although she is unable to cheerlead or dance anymore due to knee injuries, she plans to coach in the future in order to maintain association with the sport. Aside from sports, Lindsey also enjoys photography and is very active in her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta.

Lindsey’s goals this year consist of completing her freshman year at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a high GPA and traveling as much as possible.

Lindsey is excited to see what the next few years have to offer both academically and socially. She hopes to concentrate in Special Events, but is still not completely sure if that is the best choice.

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Internship Spotlight: Daphne Linker

Daphne Linker Daphne Linker fell in love with children and art while working for the City of San Luis Obispo’s after-school program. For two years, she watched art positively affect young children, and was inspired to research the effects of arts education on children for her senior project. Upon graduation, Daphne moved to Los Angeles to follow her dreams of restoring art education to public schools. After a month of intense job searching, she found her dream internship.

Since August, Daphne has been working as an Events Assistant for P.S. ARTS, an arts education organization dedicated to restoring the arts to public schools in Los Angeles and the Central Valley. P.S. ARTS has 27 Teaching Artists in 24 Title I schools, and serves 12,000 children daily. Last month, P.S. ARTS raised over $700,000 at it’s annual event Express Yourself.

During her internship, Daphne has learned countless invaluable lessons, including the importance of organization, having a positive attitude, and maintaining open communication. She honestly never imagined how incredibly hard transitioning into the work world could be, but the most important skill she gained is realizing that you never know who or how someone can help you, so it’s important to treat everyone with respect.

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Faculty Research Projects:

The RPTA Faculty work hard in and out of the classroom to educate their students and conduct research to help improve our communities and experiences though recreation, tourism, and parks opportunities. Listed below are the current research projects of the faculty.

Dr. Hendricks

  • Mt. San Jacinto State Park Wilderness Use
  • California Outdoor Recreation Opinions and Attitudes Survey

Dr. Goldenberg

  • Longitudinal Study of Outward Bound and NOLS Participants
  • Outcomes of Pacific Crest Trail Hikers
  • Outcomes of Special Interest Park Users

Dr. Brian Greenwood

  • Applied Positive Youth Development Research in Community Sport Settings
  • Hybrid Course Design Research
  • Millenial Generation Student-Faculty Perception Research

Dr. Jerusha Greenwood

  • Sustainability Tourism Development Using the Driving Force-State-Response Model (published in Dr. Greenwood’s dissertation.)

Dr. Jacobs

  • Sense of Community and Impact on First Year Students
  • The Influence of Outdoor Experiences on Affinity for Nature
  • California Coastal Commission and Whale Tail Grants Effectiveness of Environmental Education

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Davia Montoya, Student Editor
Marni Goldenberg, Faculty Advisor/Editor
Brian Greenwood, Faculty Advisor/Editor

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