The 2025 CPRS CONNECTIONS Conference & Expo is just around the corner! Taking place this year from Tuesday, March 18 to Friday, March 21 in Sacramento, California, our team cannot wait to connect in person with the many incredible parks and rec professionals who will be in attendance.
If you’ll be there too, you know that there’s lots planned for the multi-day conference, including many educational workshops and sessions. To help you plan your time at this year’s event with ease, our team has combed through the available sessions and picked out our top favorites.
Read on to discover the 25 must-attend sessions for the 2025 CPRS CONNECTIONS Conference & Expo!
2025 CPRS Day 1: Tuesday, March 18
1. RT Institute: Virtual Reality and Older Adults
Topic: Recreation Therapy
Time: 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Speakers: Chungsup Lee, CTRS, Associate Professor, California State University Long Beach; Heewon Yang, Professor, California State University Long Beach
Location: Ballroom B 4-5
2. RT Institute: Can We All Benefit? Integrating AI in the Classroom and Beyond
Topic: Recreation Therapy
Time: 11:15 AM – 12:45 PM
Speakers: Jamie Hoffman, CTRS, California State University; Lindsay Dao, MHA, CTRS, California State University
Location: Meeting Rooms 9-11
3. Administrators Section Intensive: Shaping More Livable Communities
Topic: Community Infrastructure
Time: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Speaker: Jamie Sabbach, President & Principal, 110% Inc.
Location: Ballroom B 9
Note: This is a ticketed event, not included with CONNECTIONS Conference & Expo registration.
2025 CPRS Day 2: Wednesday, March 19
4. Not Your Grandparent's Senior Center!
Topic: Senior Programming
Time: 11:30 AM – 12:45 PM
Speakers: Ben Dieterle, Community Services Supervisor, City of Fountain Valley; Jenni Worsham, Community Services Manager, City of Fountain Valley
Location: Meeting Rooms 12-13
5. Privilege in Practice: Understanding Influence
Topic: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Time: 11:30 AM – 12:45 PM
Speakers: Ashika Lal, Parks Administrator, San Joaquin County; Frankie Nelson, Senior Recreation Coordinator, City of Folsom Parks & Recreation; Penelope Crouse-Feehan, CYSA, Recreation Coordinator II, City of Folsom
Location: Ballroom B 8
6. Be Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable
Topic: Leadership and Development
Time: 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Speakers: Ismael Medina, Senior Supervisor, City of Ontario Recreation & Community Services; Candice Smith, Recreation & Community Services Manager, City of Ontario Recreation & Community Services
Location: Ballroom B 1
7. Disability Inclusion: How we built commUNITY through inclusion and how you can too
Topic: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Time: 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Speakers: Luana Acuña, NIP, Inclusion Specialist, City of Irwindale; Christopher McClain, Community Recreation Program Supervisor, City of San Bernardino
Location: Meeting Room 8
8. The Art of Service: Crafting Memorable Customer Experiences
Topic: Customer Service
Time: 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Speakers: Rebecca Sermeno, Community Services Director, City of Emeryville; Tricia Mullan, Library and Community Services Supervisor, City of Menlo Park
Location: Ballroom B 8
9. Volunteer FAQs: How to Grow Your Volunteer Program
Topic: Volunteer Programs
Time: 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Speaker: Caryn Kawamoto, Volunteer Services Coordinator, City of Huntington Beach
Location: Ballroom B 9
10. Broken Crayons Still Color: Resources & Ideas Promoting Mental Health Initiatives in Your Community
Topic: Mental Health Programming
Time: 3:45 PM – 4:45 PM
Speaker: Nicole Houghton, Recreation Supervisor, City of Brisbane
Location: Meeting Rooms 12-13
11. Creative Programming for ALL Ages
Topic: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Time: 3:45 PM – 4:45 PM
Speakers: Jennelle Markel, Community Services Supervisor, City of Rancho Cucamonga; Jessal Salas, Community Services Coordinator, City of Rancho Cucamonga
Location: Meeting Rooms 14-15
12. Dream Team: Teamwork & Collaboration in Parks and Recreation
Topic: Leadership and Development
Time: 3:45 PM – 5:15 PM
Speakers: Ashika Lal, Parks Administrator, San Joaquin County; Mark Brunner, Recreation Services Manager, Auburn Recreation District; J Long, Recreation Manager, Cosumnes Community Services District; Eric Dexter, CPRE, Parks & Open Space Superintendent, City of Roseville; Traci Farris, CPRP, Parks and Recreation Administrator, Cosumnes Community Services District
Location: Ballroom B 3
2025 CPRS Day 3: Thursday, March 20
13. More than Marketing: Constructing the 3-C's of Community Engagement
Topic: Marketing and Communication
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Speakers: Cori Lantz, Parks, Recreation & Community Services Supervisor, City of Santa Ana; Demi Perez, Recreation Program Coordinator and District 10 Marketing Specialist, City of Santa Ana
Location: Ballroom B 10
14. Belonging 2.0: Beyond the Basics
Topic: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Speaker: Tiarra Warner, M.S., Recreation Manager, City of Rohnert Park
Location: Ballroom B 1
15. EV & Tech: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly
Topic: Sustainability
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Speakers: Vincent King, Planning Manager, Southgate Recreation & Park District; Paula Hansen, CSDM, Administration Manager, Southgate Recreation & Park District; Guy E. Gray, Assistant Parks Manager, Southgate Recreation & Parks District; Jeremy Payne, Golf Course Superintendent, Wildhawk Golf Club
Location: Ballroom B 6-7
16. From Heatwaves to Hurricanes: Responding to Climate’s Impact on Recreation Programs
Topic: Sustainability
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Speakers: Monica Gonzalez, Emergency Management Coordinator, City of Los Angeles Dept. of Recreation and Parks; Adriana Smith, Emergency Management Coordinator, City of Los Angeles Dept. of Recreation and Parks; Melanie Escamilla, Emergency Management Coordinator, City of Los Angeles Dept. of Recreation and Parks
Location: Ballroom B 9
17. T.A.P. into Your Teen’s Potential! Create a Dynamic Youth Volunteer Program Fueling Your Future Workforce!
Topic: Volunteer Programs
Time: 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM
Speakers: Rosie Lozoya, Recreation Supervisor, City of Norwalk; Patricia Santana, MA, Recreation Coordinator, City of Norwalk; James Pedroza, Recreation Leader III, City of Norwalk
Location: Meeting Room 8
18. The Safety Plan: Developing a Plan for Your Aquatics Facility
Topic: Aquatics Programming
Time: 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM
Speakers: Mike Espino, Retired, City of Lompoc; Shawn Tucker, Recreation Coordinator Aquatics, City of San Luis Obispo
Location: Meeting Rooms 14-15
19. Winning the Day, Every Day!
Topic: Leadership and Development
Time: 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM
Speaker: Farrell Buller, Principal and Executive Coach, 110% Inc.
Location: Ballroom B 9
20. No Space to Build? Create Community Engagement Anyway by Maximizing the Use of Neighborhood Spaces
Topic: Community Engagement
Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Speakers: Jose J. Perez, Human and Neighborhood Services Manager, City of Anaheim; Emily Perez, Community Services Supervisor, City of Anaheim
Location: Ballroom B 3
21. Overcoming Overwhelm: Supportive Strategies for Self & Teammates
Topic: Leadership and Development
Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Speaker: Leah M. Martinez, MPA, CPRP, Recreation Supervisor, Hayward Area Recreation & Park District
Location: Ballroom B 6-7
22. Senior Center Fitness: Build It And They Will Come
Topic: Senior Programming
Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Speakers: Scott Getman, M.S., CPT, FNS, Community Services Supervisor, City of Huntington Beach; Vivian Pla, B.S., Wellness Coordinator, City of Huntington Beach
Location: Meeting Rooms 12-13
2025 CPRS Day 4: Friday, March 21
23. 20+ Years of Staffing, still hitting bumps, but maybe I can help
Topic: Leadership and Development
Time: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Speaker: Brason Alexander, Recreation Manager, Newport Beach Recreation & Senior Services
Location: Ballroom B 3
24. Rural Communities Can Have Fun, Too!
Topic: Recreation Programming
Time: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Speaker: Michael Patton, MPA CPRP, Parks and Recreation Director, City of Riverbank
Location: Ballroom B 6-7
25. Growing Access: Community Gardens, Urban Farms, Parks, and the Path to Food Sovereignty
Topic: Urban Agriculture
Time: 10:15 AM – 11:15 AM
Speakers: Leah Joyner, PhD, Assistant Professor, California State University Sacramento; Fatima Malik, Executive Director, Del Paso Heights Growers Alliance; Gabbie Gonzales, PhD, Assistant Professor, California State University Sacramento; Si Gao, PhD, Assistant Professor, California State University Sacramento
Location: Ballroom B 2
Don’t Forget to Stop by Booth #124!
We hope you have a fantastic time at the event and leave with valuable insights and ideas to put into practice at your agency!
While at the conference, be sure to come visit the Xplor Recreation team at Booth #124! Other than the incredible conversation and chance to say hello to our team, here are a few reasons to stop by:
🎁 Enter in a draw to win an iPad Air.
🔍 See our all-in-one recreation management software in action.
📱 Get a hands-on demo of our self-serve kiosk and client Mobile App!
🎉 Snag yourself some swag to take home.
📸 Capture memories with your team at our photobooth!
