Celebrating Women’s History Month in Parks and Recreation — Episode 167


By Christina High and Cort Jones | Posted on March 25, 2025

Episode 167 410

On this episode of Open Space Radio, we’re celebrating the incredible women in parks and recreation who are shaping the profession and making a difference in their communities.

Women have long played a vital role in parks and recreation – but it has historically been a male-dominated industry. Today, the leadership and presence of women in the profession continue to grow.

In fact, within NRPA’s membership of more than 60,000 park and recreation professionals:

  • 47 percent of members identify as women
  • 48 percent of 2023 NRPA Annual Conference attendees identified as women
  • 53 percent of 2024 NRPA Directors School attendees identified as women
  • 47 percent of Certified Park and Recreation Professionals (CPRP) identify as women


We recently asked women in parks and recreation to share their experiences with us, and we got some wonderful responses. Listen to the full episode below to hear from:

  • Kristine Stratton, NRPA president and CEO, who shares her gratitude for women who have shaped the profession and NRPA staff who are leading impactful work
  • Katie Groke, CPRP, director of community services at Apex Park and Recreation District (Colorado), who shares how the former executive director of her department laid the groundwork for women at Apex to grow their careers
  • Gabby Vera, CPRP, director of Lake Havasu City Parks and Recreation (Arizona), who shares how she’s making history by being the first female director at her department and the youngest director in Arizona
  • Nikki Taylor, CPRP, assistant director of recreation for Town of Bedford (Massachusetts), who shares how her department empowers girls and women and the importance of leading by example
  • Renee Glosecki, a project manager at Orange County Parks (California), who shares how she’s making a lasting impact on women’s history by paving the way for future generations of women in leadership roles
  • Ali Rhodes, director of Parks and Recreation at City of Boulder (Colorado), who shares how two impactful women who worked for her department in the 1990s paved the way for her to support a well-planned parks and recreation system.

And, we received another response after recording from Joan Scovic of Northbrook Park District in Illinois, who gave a shoutout to women leaders in Illinois:

  • Carrie Fullerton, Arlington Heights Park District
  • Lisa Sheppard, Glencoe Park District
  • Elizabeth Kessler, McHenry County Conservation District
  • Laura Rudow, St. Charles Park District
  • Allison Niemela, Batavia Park District
  • Alex Engelhardt, Fox Valley Special Recreation Association

Joan shared: “These women are all amazing leaders in the field of parks and recreation in Illinois (and around the country). They are phenomenal examples of how to be a female leader in this field, and show incredible support to other women. They take the time to educate, share their career paths and mentor others, and are models for other women who strive to be leaders and those who want to excel in service to their communities. They accomplish all of this with intelligence, compassion, humor and warmth, and have all achieved amazing things for the profession, for their communities, and for the women who are lucky enough to be in their spheres of influence.”

Listen to the episode for the full story.

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Resources discussed in this episode:

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If you enjoyed this episode or learned something that might help you make a positive impact in your community, please consider donating to NRPA. Your gift will support our storytelling efforts and our mission to advance parks, recreation and environmental resilience efforts that enhance the quality of life for all at nrpa.org/donate.

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