Conference Program Committee 2025

Do you have a passion for education and are you interested in making an impact on the NRPA Annual Conference? Applications to serve on the 2026-2029 Conference Program Committee are now being accepted! Young professionals (those under 35) are particularly encouraged to apply, with travel support available once per calendar year.

The NRPA Conference Program Committee (CPC) is a dedicated group of park and recreation practitioners and professionals from around the country, representing varying  regions, specialties, and content areas. They work diligently each year to recruit, review, and rate education session proposals. This committee is known for its hard work and the friendships that develop through participation. Serving on this committee affords professional and personal enrichment for everyone involved.

Primary responsibilities of the CPC at Conference include:

• Attend an in-person meeting during the NRPA Annual Conference.
• Represent the CPC at Conference in a customer service capacity.
• Connect with assigned speaker mentees to provide guidance and support engagement.

Primary responsibilities of the CPC between conferences include:

• Promote the NRPA Conference Call for Proposals and solicit a minimum of five session proposals by the proposal submission deadline.
• In the Winter of each year, review 600-800 session proposals. NOTE: this process will take approximately 40-60 hours.
• Take part in a 2-day winter meeting to review and select education sessions for the upcoming conference.
• Provide feedback and experience regarding speakers, topics, trends, and other nuances of program selection during the Winter Meeting.
• Work with selected speakers to assess preparedness and support them in delivering effective presentations through content coaching, ensuring alignment with success criteria, and addressing any questions or concerns.
• Attend two additional virtual meetings throughout the year.
• Term is four years.

Qualifications:

• Must be a member of NRPA in good standing.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in the parks and recreation field.
• Actively involved in local, state, or national professional development committees, networks, etc. 

Benefits:

• Committee members receive a complimentary full registration package for the NRPA Annual Conference. Members must be full participants in the responsibilities listed above to qualify for this benefit.
• Service on the Conference Program Committee (CPC) each year can be submitted for 2 Professional Service Experience (PSE) points which is equivalent to 0.2 CEUs.
• CPC Young Professionals (those 35 and under) will receive additional travel support once per calendar year, including round-trip airfare, up to three nights hotel accommodation, and an additional $500 in unrestricted funding. Members must be full participants in the responsibilities listed above to qualify for this benefit.

Application:
The application form is accessed by clicking the large blue “Apply” button above. The application asks several questions including:

• Upload a current resume
• Upload a one page letter of interest

All committee applicants will be updated regarding their application status by July 31.