Winter 2008 Newsletter

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From My Little Wooden Desk…

By: Dr. Bill Hendricks

Recently, renowned “take back your time” expert John DeGraff sent an email to recreation and leisure educators highlighting some of the challenges our society faces. John’s message focused on the decline of vacation time in the U.S. and the implications that this trend has for a healthy lifestyle. Of course at Cal Poly, we play a critical role in preparing future professionals capable of sound decision-making and problem-solving skills who are able to contribute to healthy communities, balanced lifestyles, and active living.

So, what steps are we taking to meet these challenges? In addition to our capital campaign readiness assessment to increase our presence in the tourism and event industries, we are embarking on strategic planning efforts that will further strengthen our ties to the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and shape the program’s vision for the future.

If you are working in the parks, recreation or tourism industries within California, one of our immediate strategic approaches that you might notice is the presence of our Cal Poly students everywhere! We just returned from the California Park and Recreation Society (CPRS) Annual Conference where we co-hosted a successful alumni and friends social with District VIII attended by more than 75 individuals. Furthermore, 30 Cal Poly students attended the conference. There were literally Cal Poly polo shirts at every turn! We also demonstrated at the conference once again, that Cal Poly is a leader when it comes to conducting applied research in California. Eleven of 14 presentations and posters within the CPRS Education and Research Symposium involved our students and faculty. In fact, over the past two years, 22 of 30 research presentations have been by Cal Poly!

You’ll read about other accomplishments of our students and faculty in this newsletter. In closing, think positively, enjoy life, creatively address the budget situation that faces many of us and as my dad says, “keep those cards and letters (emails) comin’.”

 

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Auction Dinner: Young At Heart

By Dana Matteson

The Recreation, Parks, & Tourism Administration Program hosted the annual auction and dinner "Young At Heart" on March 1. 170 students, faculty, parents, and friends were able to interact and have a great time. Co-chairs Dana Matteson and Beth Lane, faculty advisors Kendi Root and Cynthia Moyer, Alumni Anne Giapapas, Ryan Baker, and Molly Morris, and the committee members Heidi Diestel, Jill Nelson, Davia Montoya, Jen Rigler, Casey Moss, Melanie Mayor, Matt Ullinski, Lara Choma, Serena Clune, Brittany Jordan, Brittany Tomasko, and Kristin Jackson worked over six months to create this amazing event. The main entertainment was a slideshow created by Professor Kendi Root with hundreds of pictures of current students, alumni, parents, and faculty. This year we had over 40 silent auction items and 17 live action items. Some of the live items included a trip to Costa Rica, VIP/Backstage passes to Dr. Phil, and a trip for 10 people on a Houseboat. Thank you to everyone who donated their time and money towards the best major around. A special thanks to Tristan Fuenmayer and the volunteer servers, this event could not have happened without you!

 

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CPRS: Students in Long Beach

By Brent Mosbacher

To start, I had a great experience at the conference and feel every student would not only benefit educationally from the conference but would also enjoy the social interaction with other CPRS members. My week at the conference started by working our Cal Poly booth on Wednesday afternoon with other students. My responsibilities included answering guest’s questions and sharing my opinions on Cal Poly’s program and the school as a whole. After my shift at the booth I explored the convention center and took a quick look at the other booths. Later that evening a mixer was held at the Long Beach Aquarium for all the CPRS members to get acquainted with one another.

The next morning I made my way to the convention center and spent more time going from booth to booth and seeing what other schools, businesses, and organizations had to offer. It was a great time to network with professionals and learn of career options in the field. In the venue there were outdoor playground and exercise equipment set up and many of the pieces of equipment were challenging and fun.

The conference included informational seminars to help educate members on almost every aspect of recreation. The educational sessions focused on topics that were individual and group based.

Thursday our program (with District VIII) held a social at the Rock Bottom Brewery for conference attendees and other professionals. The social was a great time to get to know other students and faculty outside of the classroom. I would attend this conference again and recommend it to other students.

Besides the conference on Friday, Bill Hendricks arranged for our group to meet at the Staples Center in LA and have a guided tour of the facility. This was the highlight of my trip. Our guide was the event manager for the Staples Center. He took us to almost every part of the building besides the team’s locker rooms.

A few possible sessions were: "Trends in re-Shaping Recreation and Park Services," "Creative Thinking and Problem Solving," "Healthy Communities, and Laughter, the Ultimate Team Sport."

 

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Jonathan Korfhage retires from Advisory Council

By Jonathan Korfhage

Jonathan Korfhage has served on the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration Program Advisory Council for twenty years including two years as its chair. He has been a strong believer in mentorship and the value of the Cal Poly program. This will be his last year on the Council.

The son of a Methodist preacher, Jonathan Korfhage was born into a park and recreation oriented family in southwestern Minnesota. Always active in sports, he started working in recreation during high school in camps, church programs, and swimming pools. He left Minnesota to attend San Jose State College in California where he graduated with a BA in Recreation with honors. During his college years he worked for the City of San Jose, White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and various camps and swimming pools.

Jonathan recently held the part-time position of Western Services Coordinator for the National Recreation & Park Association. He retired as Superintendent of Parks, Recreation, & Vehicles for the City of Foster City, California. During his career, Jonathan served twenty-five years with the City of Oakland, California as a Recreation Supervisor managing centers & playgrounds, camps, sports & aquatics, department training, the arts program, lake operations, and information technology. Before coming to Foster City, he was employed as an Administrative Assistant with the East Bay Regional Park District in Oakland, California and worked on a variety of special programs. During those years with the EBRPD he wrote a book about the history of parks and recreation in Santa Clara County. 2006 marked the 50th year of his service in the field of parks and recreation.

Jonathan Korfhage has been a member of the National Recreation and Park Association and the California Park and Recreation Society since the early 1960's and is a charter member of NRPA. He has been a District, Regional, and State officer in CPRS and served as President of the Society in 1988-89. During his career in CPRS he chaired or served on dozens of committees. He was instrumental in moving the Society's office to the capitol in Sacramento and establishing a formal legislative program. He continues to serve as the Society's historian.

Service to NRPA has included serving as President in 2002-03 and then as the Past President and Chair of the National Forum. He was also on the Regional Council for over ten years including a year as Chair. Jonathan served on the Board of Trustees for over ten years and has served as Chair of the Awards, Information Resources, and Membership Committees each for two years and has served on many other committees and task forces. He has attended the Maintenance Management, Revenue Sources Management conference. He and his sister sponsor a student scholarship through CPRS and several other NRPA schools.

Organizational memberships and service have been a big part of his life. Some of the organizations that he has been recognized by and served include the Ford Foundation, Junior Chamber of Commerce, Girl Scouts, the Rotary Club, YMCA, Oakland Chamber of Commerce, the East Bay Regional Park District, the City of Oakland, San Mateo County Sustainability Advisory Council, and the Advisory Councils at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and Cal State University, Hayward. Jonathan received many awards from the California Park and Recreation Society including the highest recognition, the Fellowship Award in 1989.

Mr. Korfhage has been a Certified Park and Recreation Professional. Jonathan was the mascot for the Oakland Athletics for two years and is a professional puppeteer. He and his wife Barbara enjoy traveling, writing, music, puppetry, theatre, and spending time with family and friends.

 

 

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Kirk Sturm Named Law Professional of the Year

Kirk Sturm, MPA, JD, Esq., attorney-at-law for The Sturm Group has been named Cambridge Who's Who Professional of the Year for showing dedication, leadership, and excellence in all aspects of law.

Sturm has an impressive background in law, with 17 years of experience. As the attorney-at-law of The Sturm Group, he is responsible for influencing public policy and decision making, mediating conflict resolution and overseeing business improvement and performance. The Sturm Group is a business law consulting firm that provides coaching, facilitation, estate planning and conflict resolution as well as government and business consulting services.

Sturm received his JD from Ventura College of Law, his Master of Arts in Public Administration from California State University at Northridge and his bachelor of Science in Recreation Administration from California State University at Sacramento. He is a former director of The Central Coast Natural History Association and current President of the San Luis Obispo County Emergency Communications Council.

Sturm has taught in the Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration program since 2002 lending his experience and knowledge to three classes: REC 350 Facilities Design and Management; REC 342 Legal Aspects of Recreation and Tourism; REC 414 Commercial Recreation.

 

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Professor Awarded Lifetime Achievement Recognition

By Dr. Brian Greenwood

Bill Hendricks, faculty member and coordinator of the Cal Poly Recreation, Parks, & Tourism Administration program, was awarded lifetime achievement recognition by District VIII of the California Park and Recreation Society (CPRS) at the group’s annual awards banquet in Thousand Oaks, CA on Friday, March 7, 2008.

Nancy Rapp, president of the district’s Board of Directors and director of the City of Santa Barbara’s Parks and Recreation department, presented the special award and introduced Hendricks as the first recipient of the newly established award to the crowd of approximately 90 people assembled at the Hillcrest Center for the Arts in Thousand Oaks. Rapp detailed Hendricks’ experience in the parks, recreation and tourism field that spans more than 25 years as an educator, park ranger, and employee in the ski industry. His accomplishments include more than 50 publications and reports and 85 presentations at the state, national, and international levels.

Hendricks is stepping down from the Board of Directors and relinquishing his post as the educator’s representative for District VIII, a position he has held for 10 of the past 12 years. In that time, he has served on numerous District VIII committees including the program, awards, and nomination committees and has introduced countless students to the benefits of development and service through professional organizations.

Rapp assured the crowd of recreation and park practitioners and educators that Hendricks was not finished serving the profession. Rapp stated, “To dispel any notion that Bill is retiring or lightening his load in any manner, the contrary is actually the case, as he was recently appointed to the CPRS Foundation Board of Trustees and will be coordinating development of a public parks and recreation research agenda for the state through CPRS in 2008-2009.”

 

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Rho Phi Lambda

By Kyle Schnum

Rho Phi Lambda is an honorary, professional Recreation, Parks, and Leisure Fraternity that aspires to recognize, promote, and encourage students of high moral character. To be a member of Rho Phi Lambda, students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 and a major GPA of 3.2 as well as demonstrate evidence of leadership and service to the community. Several members of Rho Phi Lambda have become mentors for 1st year students in Cal Poly's first ever mentoring program. This year's officers are: President Kyle Schnum, Vice President Nicki Passeggi, and Tresurar Lauren Jones. Rho Phi Lambda would like to congratulate the members of it's newly initiated Xi class: Lauren Bauer, Teresa Karcher, Nate Pierce, Brittany Reading, Sara Ziel, Sarah Stinson, Carli O'Leary, Kelly Tobin, and Caitlin Lyon. On Friday, March 7, Rho Phi Lambda held their major's 2nd Annual Career Fair at Embassy Suites in San Luis Obispo. The following companies attended: Riverway Ranch Camp, San Luis Obispo Blues, UCSB Family Vacation Center, ASI, E! Network, Hearst Castle, California State Parks Lake Tahoe, Pebble Beach, and Camp Ocean Pines. The event was a success and the members of Rho Phi Lambda look forward to hosting it again next year.

 

 

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RPTA Club: I'm A Total REC!

By Davia Montoya

The RPTA Club is keeping their activity list full during the winter quarter. Heather Ferrai's Hip Hop class was a crowd favorite and huge success. Many students helped make the REC Auction and Dinner a success by volunteering as servers. Also, throughout the quarter there have been several guest speakers at the weekly club meetings to talk to members about their experiences working within the Recreation, Parks, & Tourism field. The end of the quarter festivities included a Croquet Tournament that was held at Laguna Lake Park. This year's RPTA Club members are living up to their motto of "I'm a total REC!"

The RPTA Club officers are: Beth Lane (president), Dana Matteson (Vice President), Kasey Gillmore (Treasurer), Tessa Bunge (Secretary), Kelly Higginbotham (Membership), Sara Zelman (Promotions), and Heidi Diestel (Social Chair and Ag Council Rep.)

 

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New Student Spotlight: Stephanie Fellows

By Stephanie Fellows

I transferred into the Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration major after realizing my original major was not a good fit. After taking REC 101, I knew I was where I was supposed to be.

I have always wanted to do a NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) course and through Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration I am able to take a semester course and have it count entirely towards my concentration. I think there is no better way to learn than to immerse yourself in the field. I have also decided to take advantage of the National Student Exchange and will be attending Montana State University, in Bozeman, for the winter and spring quarter (2009) to further my education and enjoy quality skiing. I am excited and looking forward to the adventures of this upcoming year.

New Student Spotlight: Danny Johnson

By Davia Montoya

Danny Johnson loves every aspect of the Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration program. Danny spent the first two years of his life in Papua New Guinea, since his parents are heavily involved in outreach mission trips for underprivileged and underdeveloped countries. Volunteering has been a way of life for Danny throughout his life. Through mission trips with his family he has been to Mexico over twelve times, to Ireland once, and participates in outreach mission trips three times a year.

Besides mission trips, Danny was very involved in the after school program at Carpenteria Middle School. He was in charge of games and activities for the participants. He started as a volunteer for the program during his 6th grade year and by the 10th grade he had a paid position.

Last quarter Danny was a part of the REC 210 group that sponsored the campus blood drive. Through this project, he feels that he has figured out how to facilitate an event through Cal Poly's “learn-by-doing” philosophy. Danny is also a new member of Rho Phi Lambda, the honorary, professional Recreation, Parks, and Leisure Fraternity.

Danny is currently working towards a concentration in Sports Management and being accepted into the College of Business in hopes of a business minor.

 

 

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Senior Spotlight: Rebecca Hale

By Rebecca Hale

As a graduating senior in the Cal Poly Recreation, Parks, & Tourism Administration program, I am tremendously excited about embarking on a career in this field. From childhood, I have been deeply involved in recreation activities from Little League Baseball to participating in the California State High School Championship in golf. Given my history in athletic competition, a major in this program seemed an obvious choice to me.

During my 3 ½ years at Cal Poly, I have had the opportunity to participate in a number of programs and activities. As event supervisor, I coordinated a very successful fundraiser for San Luis Obispo County at the Los Osos Skate Park. I’m currently a Fundraising Coordinator for the Wheelchair Foundation, which this year is focused on providing wheelchairs and education to the country of Malawi. I was also fortunate enough to work with Dr. Goldenberg and develop and write a longitudinal research grant proposal to Coca Cola on behalf of Cal Poly’s Recreation, Parks, & Tourism Administration program.

Both during the school year, as well as summers, I have worked at a number of paid positions for the SLO County Parks and Recreation Department. These positions include Recreation and Events Coordinator and a Ranger Aide position at Lopez Lake.

Currently, I belong to Rho Phi Lamda, the academic honor society for recreation majors and I attended the CPRS conference in February to present my senior project and expand my knowledge of the recreation field. I am trilingual with a conversational knowledge of Spanish and French. Indeed, my Spanish skills improved dramatically while attending a Spanish immersion program at the University of Valladolid in Spain during the 2006 academic year.

I am absolutely committed to pursing a career in this field. The importance of this field of endeavor to the physical and emotional well-being of our society is in my mind unquestioned. Part of my goal is to spread that passion to a broader population, hopefully enhancing the quality of life for many people in the years to come.

 

Senior Spotlight: Jared Zucker

By Jared Zucker

I grew up in Cloverdale, a small town in Northern California and I started Cal Poly in 2001 as an FNR major, but realized right away that it was not right for me. I changed to this major because it has such a positive discipline. Everyone needs to recreate, and protecting and promoting the industry is what I want to do. Through an internship, I received a job offer with Simply Clear Marketing, Inc. I helped to coordinate their exposition events. My jobs included: coordinating their volunteers, classes, and demonstrations, developing their preliminary risk management plan, and assisting with press releases and marketing. I've also belonged to the RPTA Club, the Entrepreneurship club, and the Poly Goats, which is an off-road club. Growing up in the country, I have a passion for dirt sports, like off-road racing and dirt bike riding. For a couple of years, I've been on a trophy truck team that races in the desert. I'd really like to pursue a career coordinating race events in natural settings.

 

 

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Alumni Spotlight: Anne Giapapas

By Anne Giapapas

After seeing Father of the Bride when I was 8, I knew that I wanted to plan events. I never wavered in my dream to be an event planner and after finding out about the Recreation, Parks, & Tourism Administration major, I knew it would be a perfect match for me. I immediately loved the program and began helping with events. I was on the event committee and the MC for the past 3 fundraisers. In 2007 I won the California Tourism Industry Association Scholarship which enabled me to attend the CalTIA Conference with Kendi Root. There I was able to network with numerous professionals in the industry. During college, I worked at KSBY-TV, Athletes 2 Business, Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort, and ran for 2007 ASI President.

During my last year at Cal Poly, I came into contact with Rob Rossi, a San Luis Obispo business man and philanthropist, who was looking for someone to help with the many events he hosts. I now work as the "Fun-Raiser" (yes that's honestly my title) for Rossi Enterprises and the Rossi Foundation, planning events such as the Avila Beach Concours d'Elegance, Pacific Coast Railroad Round-Up, and the all famous Beer Fest. I am also lucky enough to be helping out in other areas of the company including Ancient Peak wines, Avila Village Inn, Pacific Coast Home & Garden, Avila Beach and Blacklake Resorts.

 

Alumni Spotlight: Zach Mullinax

By Davia Montoya

Zach came to Cal Poly for the Recreation, Parks, & Tourism Administration program and Cal Poly’s Baseball team. Zach enjoyed the opportunity provided by the various concentrations. He decided not to play baseball his second year, and focused on building his resume with field experience. This is how Zach became involved in ASI as the student chair for campus concerts. In this capacity he brought performers such as Incubus and Jason Marz to Cal Poly.

Becoming involved with ASI concerts, Zach had the opportunity to meet Incubus and their agent, John Harrington. He completed an internship during his senior year with Variety Artisits.

Zach continues his employment and currently represents ten of his own clients and has booked over 800 shows.

Zach’s advice for those interested in the music business is that there are plenty of opportunities out there for those who are avid about it. If interested, he recommends reading Don Passman’s book “All You Need to Know about the Music Buisness.”

 

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Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Brian Greenwood and Dr. Jerusha Greenwood

Dr. Brian Greenwood is midway through his first year as a full-time assistant professor with the program. In addition to devoting time and energy to improving the classes that he teaches (REC 101 and REC 260 in 2007-2008), Dr. Greenwood has been working on a number of projects. He was awarded a grant from Cal Poly’s Center for Teaching & Learning to develop REC 160: Introduction to Sport Management. The course is awaiting approval for 2008-2009 and may be taught as early as fall 2008. Dr. Greenwood is also working to develop relationships with community agencies, as he has partnered this year with Los Osos Little League. Several selected students have served as members of the Board of Directors for the league through a special problems course under his supervision. In addition to a presentation at the California & Pacific Southwest Recreation & Park Training Conference with Dr. Hendricks, Dr. Greenwood recently received approval for two presentations at the North American Society for Sport Management annual conference in Toronto in late May 2008.

Dr. Jerusha Greenwood has worked as an assistant park planner for the state of Utah, economic impact of parks researcher for the state of North Carolina, and taught undergraduate and graduate courses at the U of U and NCSU before coming to Cal Poly. Dr. Jerusha Greenwood continues to work on publishing research from her dissertation, and is working on a research agenda in agritourism and wine tourism at Cal Poly. Dr. Greenwood is also working with the Cal Poly sustainability committee, SuRGE, on the upcoming University Sustainability Conference and incorporating more sustainability principles in the University curriculum.  But, above all else, the Greenwoods are counting down the days until the birth of their first child, a baby girl due on June 24, 2008.

 

Dr. Marni Goldenberg

Dr. Marni Goldenberg has been busy this quarter with conferences and presentations. In January, she attended the Coalition for Education in the Outdoors at Bradford Woods, Indiana where she presented her research on Outward Bound and National Outdoor Leadership School. In February, Dr. Goldenberg attended the Wilderness Education Association Conference in San Diego and recently returned from CPRS in Long Beach, CA. REC 325: Outdoor and Adventure Leadership is structured around community service this quarter such as working with the land conservancy, as seen in the photo. This spring Dr. Goldenberg will be abroad with Cal Poly Quarter At Sea.

Dr. Bill Hendricks

Dr. Hendricks is the coordinator for the Recreation, Parks, & Tourism Administration Program.

Bill is actively involved in his community as a board member and manager for Los Osos Little League. Bill enjoys a variety of recreational pursuits with his wife Maggie, son Sam and their dog Ally. For more information about Bill and his recent award see the article above.

 

Dr. Jeff Jacobs

It is hard to believe that this is already my 5th year here as a faculty member at Cal Poly. I really thought by now I would be a much better surfer. Last March, I was able to lead a group of 20 students (and a few non-students) to Greece for an amazing 9 day trip and this March I am preparing to head back to Costa Rica for a repeat of an amazing trip that I was able to take there with students in 2006. I continue to enjoy my work with the American Camp Association and the Association for Experiential Education. Most recently, I received a grant from the Whale Tail Foundation, funded by all of you that purchase those State of CA license plates with the Whale Tail – thanks – to help examine best practices for teaching kids about our natural environment and specifically about CA’s coastal habitats. Levi, Luke, and Logan continue to be the 3 greatest kids I know – most of the time - and my wife JJ is incredible – putting up with a house full of boys (even our 2 dogs are boys)!

Professor Cynthia Moyer

Professor Cynthia Moyer has been busy this quarter working with the student committee that plans the Annual Auction Dinner. Professor Moyer helps with the financial aspects that accompany a fund-raiser of this size, along with the registration process. She has also been actively involved in planning the second annual Rho Phi Lambda Career, Internship, & Job Fair. Along with these projects, Professor Moyer serves on the University Advising Council. This council is a standing university committee that serves as an advisory group to the Provost on issues, policies, and procedures related to advising across the campus. Professor Moyer is also the internship coordinator for the program.

Professor Kendi Root

Professor Kendi Root has just finished up another successful Auction and Dinner. This years theme was “Young at Heart.” Along with Professor Cynthia Moyer, Kendi was the faculty advisor to the student committee that put on this event. Every year it is a great experience for the students to “learn-by-doing” and to better understand the benefits of the program.

Professor Root is also working on coordinating REC 420 class volunteer projects with Hospice du Rhone and the Home Show. Two current new projects that are in their beginning phases are the end of the year banquet and construction of the open house booth. This years banquet is “Sail Away” and will be held at the Shore Cliff in Pismo. For open house the faculty and students will be constructing a “Relaxation Station” for open house attendees. They will be offering massages and handing out water.

Professor Root recently won the CAFES Outstanding Lecturer Award!

 

 

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Save The Date: REC Banquet

 

The Annual Year End Banquet is right around the corner. This year's co-chairs are Kristin Jackson, Caitlin Lyon, and Jen Rigler. The theme is “Sail Away” It’s Liberty Time. The registration fee is $20 per person until May 1st. After which the cost will increase to $25 per person.

Save the date for June 5, for you and your friends to enjoy the year end celebration. For more information, or if you would like to volunteer next quarter, please contact Professor Kendi Root at kroot@calpoly.edu.

 

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Open House

This year the faculty and students will be constructing a “Relaxation Station” for open house attendees. They will be offering massages and handing out water. This is a great way to get the major known to new incoming students. Students are needed to help staff the booth and to walk the newly admitted students from the REC Center to the Farm Shop. Please contact Kendi Root kroot@calpoly.edu if you are interested in volunteering.

 

 

 

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

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