The 2026 NEPA Spring Meeting (.3 CEUs)
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The 2026 Spring NEPA Meeting - (.3CEU's)
MAY 7TH
Lexington Community Center
Lexington, MA
Don’t miss out on this great education and training opportunity designed for Parks and Recreation, Sports Field Managers, School Maintenance, Municipalities, Universities, and more! Learn from local and national top tier educators and spend time with commercial vendors! Consider the advantages of attending!
NEPA 2026 Spring Meeting Schedule and Session Details
9:00am Check-In
10:00am-11:15am Session 1 – Master Planning Implementation…Learn how to advance Facility Capital Improvement Plans while ensuring long-term success
Presenter(s): Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs – Lexington MA & David Pinsonneault, Director of Public Works – Lexington MA
Focus: The session will introduce the importance of developing park facility master plans, how these should be used to develop long term facility improvement goals and how even the best laid plans may need to be adjusted over time to meet ever changing community needs. Additionally, you will gain an understanding of how communities like Lexington MA have leveraged community partnerships and engaged with their community to garner the support needed to successfully advance capital improvement projects over the years. Finally, learn how supporting and developing your park agency staff (no matter what their role) and the implementation and use of proper equipment directly impacts the long term success of your park and recreation facilities.
11:30am-12:00pm Lunch (provided)
12:00pm Annual Meeting
12:30pm-1:30pm Session 2A – Playgrounds…what happens when you need to take the “Play” out of Playgrounds – Classroom Session
Presenter(s): Colin Drury, M. Ed. CPSI
Focus (Part A): The session will briefly highlight some of the latest playground design trends and the drivers (safety, inclusion, product materials, surfacing, etc.) behind play equipment now commonly available. The presenter will then spend time educating participants on general playground safety (and the value behind becoming a CPSI). The session goals are to provide park professionals who manage, visit, care for and repair playgrounds with the competence to identify common playground safety hazards; the decision making tools as to when to close down (all or a portion of) a playground and how to properly do so; recommendations on how to make proper (minor) repairs and more importantly when to call in a playground professional, who has the training and expertise to resolve any playground equipment issues that your staff can not properly address. The session will conclude with an overview of a playground maintenance safety checklist, how these should be adapted to meet your individual playground needs, best-practices for utilizing this resource and record-keeping recommendations for playground safety checks and any repairs performed.
2:00pm-3:00pm Session 2B – Playgrounds…what happens when you need to take the “Play” out of Playgrounds – Off-site Session
Presenter(s): Colin Drury, M. Ed. CPSI
Focus (Part B): This session will be held remotely at a nearby playground where participants will be guided through a hands-on playground safety check to learn first-hand how to properly execute a playground maintenance safety check. Participants will work together to complete a thorough safety check of the playground, followed by a group led discussion reviewing each of the hazards identified to determine what actions may need to be taken to properly resolve any safety issues identified. The session goal is to provide participants with the tools and increased confidence to perform playground maintenance safety checks within their own communities on a regular basis in order to improve safety across all playgrounds throughout New England.
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