Prince William County Parks' Kat Fish, VRPS President, Addresses Attendees at 2023 VRPS Annual Conference

The Virginia Recreation and Park Society recently held its Annual Conference in James City County, September 9-12. VRPS is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year which gave members an opportunity to come together and look back at how far VRPS has come.

More than 500 delegates, exhibitors, speakers and volunteers, along with more than 40 students from across the state attended the conference. The conference included 60 educational sessions, an awards banquet and an outstanding exhibit hall event with 48 sponsors and exhibitors that help support the parks and recreation field. 

Chinn Aquatics and Fitness Center General Manager, Kat Fish, currently serves as President of the Virginia Recreation and Park Society. She was named President in August 2022.

As President, Fish provided updates to attendees at the Annual Business Meeting. This included a 2023 budget snapshot, 2023 membership numbers, strategic plan updates, year in review and overall accomplishments. Her presentation is available to members on the VRPS website here. She also made the formal introduction of the new VRPS Executive Director, Bailey Kasten, CAE, ICE-CPP.

Fish also highlighted some brief history of how the Virginia Recreation and Park Society came to be. During the Annual Business Meeting, she was also installed as a Board Member to fulfill her current 3-year term. 
 
During the conference, Fish, alongside VRPS Treasurer Tabitha Martinez (City of Hopewell) presented the session “Glimpse Into the Strategic Plan.” This session broke down the process the Strategic Plan Team took to create the draft of the 5-Year Plan. The team utilized data from the membership’s SWOT analysis and the six in-person/virtual engagement sessions. The draft plan highlighted the mission, vision, values and the four strategic themes. The plan is slated to be in its final stage this December. 

“To lead the Strategic Plan Team and the Society through this process has been truly rewarding,” says VRPS President, Kat Fish. 
 
On Monday afternoon, in honor of VRPS’ 70th Anniversary, brief speeches were given highlighting the past (Dan Smith, 2019 VRPS President), present (Kat Fish, 2023 VRPS President) and future (Bailey Kasten, VRPS Executive Director). These speeches emphasized where the Society has been, where it currently is and what the future holds for the Society. 
 
Fish’s involvement with VRPS began back in 2011 when she attended the Leadership Training Institute as a full-time aquatic professional. She will wrap up her term as VRPS President on December 31, 2023.

“Receiving the recognition of my year of presidential service is a highpoint of my parks and recreation career,” says Fish. “I am humbled by my time in the Society over the past decade, and I am incredibly honored to have served VRPS and its members this past year. I have enjoyed all the interactions with members across the state, as well as having the opportunity to connect with many of the members during workshops, trainings and conferences. I am truly thankful for this experience.”
 
The Virginia Recreation and Park Society is a private, non-profit professional organization, founded in 1953 and incorporated in 1956.  Its purpose is to unite all professionals, students and interested lay persons engaged in the field of recreation, parks and other leisure services in the Commonwealth of Virginia, into one body.  The members work together to promote and improve the profession in all its diversity.  VRPS is affiliated with the National Recreation and Park Association.