Schedule

Sunday, April 4^th

5:30pm-8:00pm
Dinner and Opening Session, Social
Begin IU EDP by meeting fellow EDP classmates, Alumni, and the EDP Board of Trustees during our opening session, welcome dinner and "Beverages and Banter" social.

Opening Session
Get Excited, Here Comes Your Future!

This energizing keynote message is designed to help park and recreation professionals reconnect with their purpose, influence, and ability to move forward with intention. In a time of growing complexity, shifting expectations, and professional fatigue, this session challenges participants to examine the mindset they bring to their work, the choices they make each day, and the role they play in shaping outcomes for their teams, organizations, and communities.

Through a practical and encouraging message, participants will be reminded that the future is not something that simply happens to them. It is something they help create through their actions, attitudes, decisions, and willingness to take the next step. This keynote will inspire professionals to get going again with greater clarity, confidence, and commitment to the impact they can make.

Speaker: Farrell Buller, Consultant -Principal & Certified Executive Coach, 110%, Inc.

Monday, April 5^th

8:30am-11:30am
1st and 2nd Year Students

Disrupting Our Confidence

Parks and recreation organizations across the country are facing rising costs, workforce constraints, aging infrastructure, affordability concerns, and increasing pressure to justify public investment. But the deeper challenge may not be financial alone. It may be systemic. For decades, the profession has often equated success with more: more parks, more programs, more facilities, and more amenities. Some of these investments have created meaningful public value. Others have been shaped by political pressure, special interests, inherited assumptions, competitive comparisons, and a professional culture reluctant to say no. This interactive session challenges us all to examine the cognitive dissonance between what we say we value and what we fund, subsidize, maintain, and protect. We will explore how public value, community demand, political influence, and organizational habits can, and in some cases, have become blurred over time.

Speaker: Jamie Sabbach, Consultant- President & Principal, 110%, Inc.

1:00pm-4:15pm
1st Year Students

Leading with Impact: Navigating Culture to Elevate Leadership

Explore the powerful intersection of leadership and organizational culture through real-world scenarios, group collaboration, and guided discussion. Participants will uncover the often-invisible forces that shape culture and influence leadership effectiveness—and vice versa. Leaders will engage in strategic reflection to assess their own cultural impact and learn how to shape environments that foster trust, innovation, and high performance. The session provides tools for evaluating and evolving culture with intention, while highlighting how inclusive, values-driven leadership builds resilient and adaptive teams. Attendees will leave equipped to lead with authenticity and cultural acuity.

Speaker: Jackie O'Connell Executive Director, MetroParks of Butler County OH

1:00pm-4:15pm
2nd Year Students

Building Perspective and Enhancing Communication for Park & Recreation Services and Programs

During this interactive session, participants will engage in exercises that highlight communication and perspective building. This will help with gaining insight into the experiences of individuals from different backgrounds and lived experiences. Through these exercises, participants can develop a greater understanding of the barriers that marginalized individuals might face and brainstorm strategies to overcome them. The creation of action list of items that participants can incorporate into their respective organizations will be created. This list may include tangible steps, policies, or practices that can enhance inclusiveness and belonging. By the end of the session, participants should leave with a renewed commitment to inclusivity and belonging, armed with practical strategies and a clear action plan to implement positive changes within their organizations.

Speakers: Princess Darnell, Consultant, Darnell Adaptive Consulting

Tuesday, April 6^th

8:30am-11:30am
1st Year Students

Elevating Parks and Recreation Through Innovation and AI-Driven Technology

Innovation and artificial intelligence are rapidly reshaping how parks and recreation professionals lead, communicate, problem-solve, and serve their communities. This session explores practical, real-world strategies for leveraging AI and widely available technology tools to increase innovation, boost productivity, improve decision-making, enhance audience engagement, streamline creative development, and strengthen communication. Through examples, data, exercises, and emerging best practices, you will gain actionable approaches to work smarter, accomplish more with limited resources, and prepare for the evolving future of parks and recreation leadership. This will help you maximize your impact on the people, places, and resources you serve.

Speaker: Alex Hannah, Chief, Marketing, Creative and Communications, Delaware State Parks

8:30am-11:30am
2nd Year Students

Blocks to Breakthroughs

Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs start with your hands. In this interactive, hands-on session, participants will use the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® method to surface ideas, unlock creativity, and communicate more clearly. Grounded in research and designed to foster deep listening, collaboration, and problem solving, this method helps individuals see challenges and articulate bold, forward-moving strategies. You'll leave with a tangible model—and a powerful story—to help move your organization from stuck to strategic.

Speaker: Farrell Buller, Consultant -Principal & Certified Executive Coach, 110%, Inc

1:00pm-4:15pm
1st Year and 2nd Year Students

Challenging Traditional Approaches

What practices and experiences can you share with your fellow IU EDP classmates? What issues are impacting you and your agency? This joint session is an opportunity for you to call the sessions you want to, and be part of the conversations you need to. Using a technique from the Art of Hosting, you'll host roundtable discussions that allow you to network, learn, and share with other attendees, board members, and instructors. This will give you the opportunity to interact with many professionals from across the country on subjects important to you, providing you with needed resources to navigate change and make improvements. If you're in need of a solution or inspiration, bring a topic with you to discuss!

Session Facilitator: Jackie O'Connell Executive Director, MetroParks of Butler County OH