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Where Are All My Mentors Going?

One professional's tribute to her retiring colleagues underscores
the value of mentoring

BY DEBBIE CARLSON, CPRP

This is a tribute to all of the long-time professionals who have retired or plan to retire in the next few years and who are leaving me without my best resource of information.

Retirement obviously is contagious. This struck me very hard a few weeks ago while attending a retirement party for a good friend and mentor. Many of my mentors were in attendance. Some also have plans for early retirement or have done so already. Now, while I would never dream of taking away the beauty of early retirement, I will miss all of you and needed to say thank you for all of the advice and good times I have enjoyed over the past years. I also feel compelled to bring the essential role of the mentor to the forefront when so many are leaving us.

Stop and think of what these people have done for our profession over the past quarter of a century or so. (They are old!) Their intelligence, creativity, caring and dedication have established a tremendous network throughout our state and many of the other states. Through this network, the daily challenges of operating such diverse facilities and programs are made easier by sharing experiences, processes and much more.

These professionals also have demonstrated a special attitude toward life. It exudes morality, dignity, ambition, selflessness, and fun—all mixed together. They have shown me the importance of balancing life's challenges, while considering the ramifications of our actions, their effect on others.

Without the extreme dedication of these professionals, none of this would be in place, especially not to the outstanding level. Their leadership and example created the system in which we exist. It is how I have not only survived, but thrived in my professional life. (Yes, I said thrived. I can hear all of you making wisecracks, but I thrived.)

When considering the whole picture, who has better jobs than we do? We are blessed with the mission of enriching people's lives through providing leisure opportunities or in lay terms, fun. What is truly amazing is that what sounds so simple is so complicated. Major changes have occurred

Nearly 60 percent of the professionals who have helped to pave the way to make the park and recreation profession one of the finest career opportunities in the country will vacate their positions in this decade. A study conducted by Western Illinois University in 1999 revealed that we can anticipate a significant exodus of professionals who work in public park and recreation profession in the next 10 years. The results of the study indicate that from the five years 1999 to 2004, we can expect 122 positions (28.9 percent) to be vacated in the state of Illinois alone. Another 117 (27 percent) executives and superintendents will retire in the five years from 2005 to 2009. — from "Let the Mentoring Begin!," by Dr. Terry G. Schwartz and Katherine Pawelko, Illinois Parks & Recreation magazine, May/June 2000, page 36

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in our profession. We have become big business. We are not a luxury anymore, but something that is conceived as totally essential for a complete life. Heavy demands are made by our constituents and, through honest effort, many of those demands are met or exceeded.

Without our mentor system, so much would be lost.

How did we get through all of these incredible changes as well as we did? It certainly was a unified effort, but I believe that much of the success should be attributed to the men and women who have dedicated their lives to the recreation mission. These people have 20, 30 or 40 years of experience and never stopped using their creativity and intellect to make things better. They have brought respect to the entire profession. Through a statewide effort, our network (the Illinois Park and Recreation Association or IPRA) has been developed to create relationships that share the ideas, facts and processes in day-to-day operations. This sharing of resources has allowed tremendous growth in a relatively short period of time.

Today I witness new mentors surfacing steadily. Without our mentor system, so much would be lost. I hope you will open yourself to all when asked. This will enhance what has been built in the past. The world will keep changing, but with a solid base to work from, our profession will flourish. Setting examples for the incoming professionals is a huge task.

To professionals new to the field, understand that community service is a special call and not for everyone. It is very gratifying, but also taxing. Keep open to the good and the bad. DO not let the bad stay in the forefront. The squeaky wheel syndrome is the easy way to live. Make an effort to go to events and programs and parks to remember why you are doing this particular job for a living. Use your mentors and strive to become a mentor to someone else.

To my many mentors, I can never express my gratitude to all of you for your assistance and unselfish giving. You have taken the time to make a difference beyond just your agency and community.

You know who you are. I thank you for enriching my life and therefore the community I serve. I wish you happiness And excitement in your new ventures. I hope in some way, we can stay in touch. Take care and God bless you and your families. •

DEBBIE CARLSON, CPRP
is the executive director or the River Trails Park District. She graduated with from Western Illinois University with a degree in Park and Recreation Administration in 1975 and earned a master's of science degree in Business from National Louis University. In 1975, while working at the Wheeling Park District, her supervisor suggested that she join the Illinois Park and Recreation Association and become active in the profession. In 1995, Carlson was elected president of IPRA.

IPRA Mentoring Program The Illinois Park and Recreation Association is proud to announce the formation of a Mentoring Program for the individual members. This new initiative is meant to compliment the career counseling relationship an employee may have with their supervisor. This voluntary program provides members the opportunity to: • build professional relationships; • discuss career goals and project issues with someone outside of the protegee's direct reporting relationship, and; • provide a forum where ideas, questions and career development are openly discussed. Why be the Protegee? It is scary to be the "new person" in a position in any field. Your mentor can serve as a go-to person to address some of the concerns you may have in your position. It's also a great opportunity to have a colleague to help you network with other professionals and get to know the names and faces in the field. Why be the Mentor? What greater compliment could you be given than to be asked to help our young professionals get off to a great start in this field; to share your wisdom and your experiences. Mentoring is a wonderful way to help leave your mark in this field; a legacy that can be passed down through each generation. How Do I Get Involved? Individuals wishing to become a mentor or protegee should call IPRA at 630.752.0141 or see the Web site at www.il-ipra.org. Ultimately, a member of the Mentoring Committee will match a mentor and a protegee together and will make assignments to the individuals as close geographically as possible. A protegee can ask for a specific person to be their mentor and the committee will contact the individual to enlist them to be a mentor if they are not already registered. Once the assignments have been made, the committee will notify both the mentor and the protegee. The mentoring committee will continue to work with each pair during the course of the program to ensure participant satisfaction, or reassignment, if necessary. •

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