Walt Bratton grew up as the son of a parks and recreation director. His love for the profession started by working with his father, assisting in the daily operations of his hometown’s parks and recreation department in Washington State.
Walt attended Yakima Valley Community College (Yakima , Washington
Upon graduating with honors from Washington State University with a Bachelors Degree in Parks & Recreation Management, Walt was offered a full ride academic scholarship to attend Arizona State University (Tempe, Arizona) in pursuance of his Masters Degree in Parks and Recreation Admin istration. Walt accepted this exciting opportunity to attend ASU and further his educational foundation. Arizona State University also has an accredited program of study under the NRPA Council on Accreditation (COA). Walt finished the two-year graduate program at Arizona State University in one year. He graduated summa cum laude with his Masters Degree in December 1993.
Walt also holds a mini-MPA (masters in public administration) from Wichita State University, in Wichita, Kansas, 2002. The M.P.A. program at Wichita State University is one of the top accredited public administration programs in the country.
Walt has also taught parks and recreation curriculum as an Adjunct Professor at both the community college and university levels. Walt was awarded the prestigious 2007 Casper Star-Tribune statewide publication “40 Under Forty” Award for the Top Business Professionals in the state of Wyoming under the age of 40. He is a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional (CPRP) through NRPA’s National Certification Board, and has been since 1994.
Walt is an active member of numerous parks and recreation professional associations, to include:
- California Parks
- Commission for Accreditation of Parks and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) as a site visitor and chairperson (2000 to 2011)
- National Recreation & Park Association, NRPA, (1990 to Present), professional member
- Arizona Parks
- Kansas
- National Youth Sports Coaches Association, NYSCA, (1993 to 1998)
- National Alliance
- Nebraska
- South Dakota Parks
- Illinois Parks & Recreation Association, IPRA, (2004 to 2011)
- Wyoming Recreation & Park Association, WRPA, (2005 to 2011)
- Florida Recreation and Park Association, FRPA, (2011 to Present)
- American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, AAPRA, (2009 to Present)
In 2000 he was the recipient of the NRPA – Pacific Southwest Region “Young Professional of the Year Award”. In 2000 he was awarded both the American Parks & Recreation Society (APRS) “Young Professional of the Year Award” and the NRPA – “Robert W. Crawford Young Professional Award”, which is given nationally at the annual NRPA Conference to the nation’s top young administrator (35 years of age or younger) in the field of parks and recreation.
Walt was the recipient of the 2008 Wyoming Association of Municipalities (WAM) Leadership and Training Scholarship recipient, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. This scholarship is given out annually by the City Managers Association in Wyoming.
Walt was a member of the graduating charter class for the 2008-2009 NRPA Director’s School held at the Oglebay Training Institute in Wheeling, West Virginia. This 80-hour management and leadership two year program of study was completed in August 2009. Applicants are selected and invited to enroll in this prestigious school for park and recreation administrators.
Walt led the City of Green River, Wyoming, Department of Parks and Recreation to become CAPRA Accredited in October 2008 (their initial Accreditation) at the NRPA Congress in Baltimore, Maryland. The City of Green River Parks and Recreation Department is the only agency in Wyoming (and one of only 100 in the country) to receive this national distinction for excellence in parks and recreation management.
Walt led the City of Green River, Wyoming, Department of Parks and Recreation to attain 3-time National Playful City USA Awards (i.e. 2008, 2009 and 2010). Green River Parks and Recreation was one of only 10 municipalities/agencies in the country to win this award three times in a row. This national program is sponsored by the KaBOOM Playground Corporation and recognizes best practices in playground design and oversight.
Walt led the City of Green River, Wyoming, Department of Parks and Recreation to the 2010 and 2011 NRPA National Gold Medal Award “Finalist” in the Class V category (serving populations of 25,000 or less). This was the first time in the 46-year history of the Gold Medal Award Program that an Agency from Wyoming was selected as a Finalist.
In 2009 Walt was nominated for membership and selected for induction into the American Academy for Parks and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Congress and Exposition. There are only 125 practitioners and educators elected into the ‘Academy’. The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (“the Academy”) was created in 1980 with 50 founding members. Membership in the Academy is prestigious and viewed as an honor in the profession. Walt is the only professional in the 60-year history of the Wyoming Recreation and Parks Association to be inducted in the AAPRA.
In April 2010 Walt was awarded the prestigious Distinguished Fellow Award by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Midwest Region at their annual conference in Kearney, Nebraska. The Midwest Region Distinguished Fellow Award is the highest honor given out to a parks & recreation administrator by the six-state region of Wyoming, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado and Kansas under the auspices of NRPA.
In August 2011 and again in August 2012 Walt received a scholarship from the Florida Recreation and Park Foundation (funding arm for FRPA) to attend the annual Florida Recreation and Parks Association – FRPA – annual state conference and exposition in Orlando.
Walt has been the Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Deerfield Beach, Florida, since January 2011, overseeing a staff of 160 employees, an 11 million dollar budget, 50 city facilities, parks, sites, buildings, community centers, public beach and amenities; to include 320 acres of both developed and undeveloped public land and acreage.
** THE FOLLOWING Is a list of PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATIONS & CERTIFICATIONS, SEMINARS, TRAININGS, PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS THAT Walt Bratton has given from 1990 to 2013 -
· Led the City of Green River, Wyoming, Parks and Recreation Department to the 2010 and 2011 NRPA National Gold Medal Award “Finalist” in Minneapolis at the 2010 NRPA Congress and at the 2011 NRPA Congress in Atlanta. This was in the Class V population category for agency’s serving populations of 25,000 or less. This was the 1st time in the 46-year history of the National Gold Medal Award Program that an Agency from Wyoming was named as a “Finalist” for the prestigious Gold Medal Award.
· Appointed to the Commission for Accreditation of Parks and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) Appeals Committee as chair. This is a 3-year appointment for CAPRA covering 2010-2012.
· Led the City of Green River, Wyoming, Parks and Recreation Department to be a 3 time National Playful City USA Award Recipient (i.e. 2008, 2009 and 2010); one of only 10 agencies in the country to receive this national award (3-times / three consecutive years). The National Playful City USA Award is given out annually by the KaBOOM Playground Corporation in Washington D.C. for excellence in playground amenities and best practices in the industry.
· American Parks and Recreation Society (APRS), Board of Directors, Midwest Region representative, 2008-2012
· Midwest Region representative to the NRPA Program Committee, 2008 to 2011, 3-year term appointment
· Charter student for the 2008-2009 inaugural National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Director’s School, held at the Oglebay Training Institute, in Wheeling, West Virginia. This is a two year school covering leadership and management topics in the parks and recreation profession. School curriculum follows the CAPRA Accreditation Parks and Recreation excellence standards.
· Recipient of the 2007-2008 Wyoming Education Association “Friend of Education” award for tireless efforts in encouraging healthy and active lifestyles through work with the Sweetwater County School District # 2 Health and Wellness Committee (November 2008); nominated by the Superintendent of Public Schools
· Led the City of Green River, Wyoming, Parks & Recreation Department to national CAPRA Accreditation (October 2008 through October 2013) for excellence in the management and operations of a public parks and recreation agency. Received the Accreditation distinction at the 2008 NRPA Congress in Baltimore, Maryland. Only parks and recreation agency in Wyoming to be CAPRA Accredited. One of only 100 agencies in the country.
· Recipient of the prestigious Casper Star-Tribune newspaper “40 Under Forty” award for the Top Business Professionals in the state of Wyoming under the age of 40. The Casper Star Tribune is Wyoming’s official newspaper publication. Award given out by Governor Dave Fredenthal.
· Wyoming Recreation and Parks Association (WYORPA), Annual Awards Selection Committee member, 2006 and 2007
· Wyoming Recreation and Parks Association (WYORPA), professional member 2005 to 2011
· The City of Green River, Wyoming, Parks & Recreation Department is an Agency Member of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), 2005 to 2011 - the only parks and recreation agency in Wyoming that is an NRPA Agency member.
· Illinois Parks and Recreation Association (IPRA), Professional Member, 2004 to 2011
· Florida Recreation and Park Association (FRPA), Professional Member, 2011 to Present
· Nebraska Recreation and Park Association (NeRPA), Professional Member, 2004 to 2005
· South Dakota Parks and Recreation Association (SDPRA), Professional Member, 2004 to 2005
· Kansas Recreation and Park Association (KRPA), Professional Member, 2001 to 2005
· California Parks and Recreation Society (CPRS), Professional Member, 1998 to 2004
· National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), Professional Member, 1990 to Present
· Arizona Parks and Recreation Association (APRA), Professional Member, 1992 to 2004
· Washington Recreation and Park Association (WRPA), Professional Member, 1990 to 1992
· National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) American Academy of Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), “Young Professionals Externship Scholarship/Award Recipient”, 2001, Denver, Colorado, congress for recreation and parks
· National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) 1998 Pacific Southwest Regional Council Young Professional Fellowship Award Recipient. The Pacific Southwest Regional Council is made up of these five states: (Arizona Hawaii Utah Nevada California Miami Beach , Florida
· Arizona Parks and Recreation Association (APRA) Michael A. Ramses, “Young Professional Scholarship Award Recipient”, 1997, Litchfield Park, Arizona
· Arizona Parks and Recreation Association (APRA) Annual Awards & Citations Committee member, 1994 to 1997
· Southern California Skate Park Coalition and Skate Park of American National Award Recipient for the “Best of the West” skate park 2004, for the City of San Bernardino (California) Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, Design/Construction TEAM, for concrete skate parks under 15,000 square feet in size ($250,000 project budget - category)
· Full Ride Minority Academic Scholarship to obtain my Masters Degree in Parks and Recreation Administration from Arizona State University, main campus, Tempe, Arizona, 1992-1993
· Gene A. Bohler Award – for excellence in the field of Therapeutic Recreation, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 1992 (undergraduate student award)
· Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, Department of Recreation and Leisure Services, Student of the year 1991 and 1992, the only two time winner in the department history
· Virginia L. Shaw Scholarship of Professional Promise at Washington State University Pullman , Washington
· Full Athletic Basketball Scholarship, Yakima Valley Community College (YVCC), Yakima, Washington, 1988-1990
Professional Publications/Presentations:
· January 2011 Wyoming Recreation and Parks Association (WRPA) FOCUS magazine published article titled “Pass on Your Passion to the Next Generation of Parks and Recreation Professionals”
· June 2010 Wyoming Recreation and Parks Association (WRPA) FOCUS magazine published article titled “Playground Surfacing: It Matters”
· January 2010 Wyoming Recreation and Parks Association (WRPA) FOCUS magazine published article titled “Views from a Park Bench” and CPSI Certification Counts”
· June 2009 Wyoming Recreation and Parks Association (WRPA) FOCUS magazine published article titled “Work Smarter and Harder in 2009 as Parks and Recreation Professionals” and “Paining Over Performance Evaluations”
· January 2009 Wyoming Recreation and Parks Association (WRPA) FOCUS magazine published article titled “Wyoming Public Parks and Recreation: The Power of Parks”
· June 2008 Wyoming Recreation and Parks Association (WRPA) FOCUS magazine published article titled “The Importance of being Professionally Certified”
· January 2008 Wyoming Recreation and Parks Association (WRPA) FOCUS magazine published article titled “Striving for Accreditation Excellence: Green River Parks and Recreation”
· June 2007 Wyoming Recreation and Parks Association (WRPA) FOCUS magazine published article titled “The Importance of Professionalism in the Field”
· January 2007 Wyoming Recreation and Parks Association (WRPA) FOCUS magazine published article titled “CAPRA: What Is It?”
· Wyoming Recreation and Parks Association (WRPA) September, 2007 state conference educational session guest speaker, in Gillette, Wyoming; 0.1 CEU education session titled “A Call to Action with Wyoming Action for Health Kids Initiatives”. 1 hr. 15 min. session.
· Appointed to the National Recreation & Park Association (NRPA) National Certification Board (NCB) as one of ten committee members that evaluate and update the national Certified Parks & Recreation Professional (CPRP) exam annually. A 3-year term (covering 2005-2007) calendar years. This is a national committee under the auspices of NRPA.
· NRPA 2000 Congress, Phoenix, Arizona, October 10-15, 2000 at the Phoenix Civic Plaza. I presented three educational sessions. (1) “Youth Employment & Training Program”, O.1 CEU, 1 hr. 15 min. session; (2) “X-Tattoo: Tattoo Removal Program”, 0.1 CEU, 1 hr. 15 min. session; and (3) “The Summer Youth Work Experience Program”, 0.3 CEU, 3 hr. 15 min. session.
· NRPA-APRS “Guest Educator” program facilitator, March 2000, at Arizona State University (main); Arizona State University (west); and Northern Arizona University (NAU). Guest Educators are interested practitioners acting as professional and NRPA liaisons and representatives communicating the benefits of professional involvement to students either in a classroom or internship setting.
· NRPA-APRS-Recreation Programmer’s Division/Youth Development section – Pre-Congress Institute Chair “Youth Development: 2000 and Beyond”, Nashville, Tennessee, 1999
· X-Tattoo: Tattoo Removal Program, educational session was presented at the 1998 Arizona Parks and Recreation Association state conference in Tucson, Arizona
· CPRP, The Professional Certification Process, educational session was presented at the 1997 Arizona Parks and Recreation Association state conference in Litchfield Park, Arizona
· CLP, Certified Leisure Professional, “What you need to Know!, presented at the Connectivity professional development seminar in April 1996, Phoenix, Arizona
· Wuzz Up Teens Quarterly Newsletter (editor), City of Phoenix (Arizona) Parks, Recreation and Library Department, 1995-1996
· Recreation Internship Program, educational session presented at the 1995 Arizona Parks and Recreation Association state conference in Phoenix, Arizona
· Teen Parks and Recreation Board, educational session presented at the 1995 At-Risk Youth Colloquium, in Phoenix, Arizona
· Wuzz Up Teens Program, educational session presented at the 1995 Southwest At Risk Youth Colloquium in Phoenix, Arizona
· At Risk Youth Division, Employee Manual, City of Phoenix (Arizona) Parks, Recreation and Library Department, editor and publisher, 1995 and 1996 (two publications)
