The Importance of Advocacy:

1. The Importance of Advocacy: From Your Community to the State Capitol 2008 Citizen Board Member Conference North Carolina Recreation and Parks Association Greensboro, North Carolina August 7, 2008

2. Presenter Barry Ford, Esq. Director of Outreach and Advocacy United States Tennis Association • Attorney • Political Candidate • Public Official • Advocate and Lobbyist

3. Overview of Presentation • Define Advocacy • Why Advocacy is important • What your voice can mean • How you can make your voice heard • The Focus of Advocacy • Examples of Public Sector Priorities • Why your Park and Recreation Agency Needs you • Closing and Questions

4. What is Advocacy? • Effort • To Convince • Decision-Maker • What you want (Program, Facility, or Proposal) • Will help them get what they want

5. What does Citizen Advocacy mean in the Park & Recreation Context? Sustained Public Support & Healthy, Livable Communities Passion for Parks and Active Public Spaces The Needs and Objectives of Schools, Communities, Colleges, and Local Public Officials

6. Park and Recreation Agencies Need Citizen Advocates • Many government priorities • Often Park and Recreation Agenda is not view as important as public safety, health, or education • Park & Recreation agencies: • Embattled • Need Allies • Citizen advocates critical

7. What Can the Voice the Citizen Board Member Mean? Support for Park & Recreation Agencies: • Helps create a healthy community, • Improves the safety of a community, • Increases opportunities for youth • Enhances quality of life for all.

8. How can you make your voice heard? • Interests and goals of the decision-maker. • Not Parks and Recreation Activities alone. • Connect Park and Recreation issues to other issues. • The Park and Recreation Agenda addresses other problems in your community. • How does getting you what you want, help the decision-maker?

9. Public Sector Focus • This Agenda Primarily Targets Public Sector Decision-Maker • Government Leaders (Executive and Legislative) • Local • State • Federal • School Administrators and Educators • But not exclusively so. • Influential Civic Leaders

10. Public Priorities that Park and Rec Agencies are Relevant to • Health • Obesity • Chronic illnesses • Community Development & Public Safety • Engagement of Youth • Safety of Seniors • Security and Opportunity for Families • Education & Youth Development • After-School and Physical Education • Economic Development

11. Why Your Park & Recreation Agency Needs You • Community support and involvement Key to success • Enhances ability to address expressed needs • Help to make Professional Staff more effective • Help to build important relationships with key decision-makers

12. Parks Colleges Advocacy Circle Schools Facilities • Community-Based • Youth & Families • Sustainability • Public Support A well-run Park & Recreation Agency is an invaluable public resource.

13. THREE LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT • President • Executive • Agencies • Congress • Judicial FEDERAL • Governor/Elected Cabinet • State Legislature • Administrative Agencies • Judiciary Department STATE • Cities, Counties, Town, Townships, • Villages, Special Districts LOCAL • Mayors, County Executives, Town Supervisors, • City Managers/Town Manager • City Councils, • Town Council, • Village Board, • Park Boards, Water Boards, Youth Bureaus, Citizen Advisory Group, School Boards

14. Conclusion • As Citizen Board members you are: • Critical supporters • Important voices • Connectors • Advocates