We are thrilled to present the very first episode of The Parks and Recognize Podcast - a series of interviews that delve into the essential work of parks and recreation professionals, uncovering their journeys and the passion that fuels their dedication.
In our debut episode, Datis Mohsenipour, VP of Marketing at Xplor Recreation, engages in a compelling conversation with Sydney Elliott, Youth and Business Supervisor at the City of DeSoto.
Sydney is the recipient of the National Recreation and Park Ethnic Minority Society's Young Professionals Award, Chair of the Texas Recreation and Park Society's Minorities in Leisure Services (MILS) group, 2023 Woman of the Year by the DeSoto Chamber of Commerce, and the 2024 Rising Star of TRAPS.
Tune in to the podcast or read the interview transcription below to discover more about Sydney’s journey and her profound influence on her community.
Listen to Episode 1 of Parks and Recognize:
Prefer to Read the Interview? See Below.
Datis: What are your favorite places that you've traveled to?
Sydney: I don't have a favorite place, I have three. Best place ever was Budapest, then Vienna, and I'd have to top it off with Dubai. Those are the top three.
Datis: What makes those your favorite places?
Sydney: Definitely the scenery, the culture. Budapest is pretty much walkable, and their transportation is free, at least it was when I was there. And just being able to hop on a bus, get lost, and then just hop on another bus and get back right to where you started. Vienna, the food, and Dubai is just gorgeous, day or night.
Datis: For the folks that don't know you, tell us a little bit about who you are, what you do, and where you do it.
Sydney: I'm the Youth and Business Supervisor for the City of DeSoto, right outside of Dallas (so South of Dallas, Fort Worth Metroplex). For my official title, I oversee the business operations for our Parks and Recreation Department as well as I oversee our DeSoto Team Council. But, more importantly than anything I'm just a team member, team player per se. I work with our tourism, I work with our Chamber of Commerce for opportunities. I oversee our capper reaccreditation, it's just a variety of hats that I wear here at the City of DeSoto.
Datis: How long have you been actively working in Parks and Recreation?
Sydney: Overall, I've been in Parks and Recreation in some type of form or fashion for 17 years. From 2007 to now. My first stint with DeSoto was 7 years and then I moved into the private sector a little bit, but I was still working part-time at a couple other cities in the Metroplex. And then I came back to DeSoto in May of 2017, so 7 years this month.
Datis: So, not only have you been working that long in parks and rec, but most of it has been spent directly in the City of DeSoto?
Sydney: Yes, believe it or not, I wasn't born in DeSoto, but I was actually raised in DeSoto, so I grew up here my entire life. As a matter of fact, I feel like I'm a parks and rec kid. I started coming up here when I was 13 and I guess you could say it just couldn't get rid of me. So here we are now.
Datis: I strongly believe that parks and rec pros are the heartbeat of our communities everywhere. Tell us a little bit about what community means to you.
Sydney: Let me start by saying I think you can form a community anywhere. When we talk about community, I think it's the sharing of some type of common practice. But it also includes adaptability. I think with Parks and Rec moving with the new trends, we're creating our own, newer communities that embrace all demographics. So, I really think it's the sharing of common values and goals, but also how we are being inclusive and how we are being diverse. Those topics that have become more important, nowadays, in the shaping and forming of communities.
Datis: Can you share a couple of your proudest moments in your career?
Sydney: You know that's a tough one. I have received more recognition in this last year than I have in my entire career in parks and rec. And recognition to me it comes and goes, it's nice to be valued. Last year, at NRPA, I received the Young Professional of the Year Award from National Recreation and Park Ethnic Minority Society. I came back home and a couple months later I received the Woman of the Year award from our area Chamber of Commerce. And then at the Texas Recreation and Parks Society Institute in February, I received the Rising Star Award. And just to know that I'm making a difference, not just here in DeSoto, in the Metroplex, but really, nationwide as well as just in my home state, that means a lot. But the work doesn't stop. I'm one of those people that think that awards are good, great, gravy, but the work has to continue. I want to make sure that the generation behind me, they're able to take the baton and move 10 times at the speed that I'm moving right now. 
Datis: Can you tell us a little bit about the work you do with MILS?
Sydney: Yeah, absolutely, so MILS stands for Minorities in Leisure Services. It's a branch of TRAPS, Texas Recreation and Park Society, and I currently serve as the chair. This is my last year as chair, and it's a funny story, so in 2020, it was being ran by one of my good friends, Monty Whetstone, and he called me one day and this is when I just transitioned back into being full time in Parks and Rec and he was like, 'hey, I'm trying to get MILS back up and running, and I need your help'. And there's this word I like to use, ‘voluntold’, and I was voluntold that I was going to be helping out with MILS which I had no issue with because I loved what it was going to do for the community. I think in Parks and Recreation, you're starting to see more minorities in Parks and Recreation, but we've never really had that space and a lot of times when we talk about minorities, people automatically assume that we're talking about race, when in reality we're just talking about anybody who is a minority in the community that they serve. Whether it's sexual orientation, whether it's race, whether it's, you name it, if you feel like you're a minority, we want you to be a part of minorities and leisure services cause we're constantly, supporting each other. We're providing those networking opportunities. You never know who you're going to meet to connect, and you don't know how that will bless you in the future.
Datis: When you're not busy with your day job and all the volunteer work you do with associations, what are you doing with your spare time?
Sydney: So, don't laugh at me, but I just binge watched the first part of the Bridgerton season. I love Bridgerton. In my free time, when I do have free time, I love to cook. I'm constantly saving recipes from TikTok and Instagram and then recreating them at the house as well as binge watching on some Real Housewives show. Guilty pleasure, guilty pleasure.
Datis: What is your specialty dish?
Sydney: I love, love, love, seafood. I make a mean shrimp scampi, but I also love to cook soul food. There’s a Sunday dinner and I've been asked to make it this upcoming weekend, Mac and Cheese, so I'm gonna make a regular Mac and cheese as well as a crab Mac and cheese, smoked green beans and lamb chops and I think I'm going to do a collard greens with ham hocks.
Datis: If you have any one piece of advice you could share to other parks and rec pros through your personal experiences and your career, what would it be?
Sydney: I would have to say don't be afraid to put yourself out there. You never know who you will encounter. One of the things that I was blessed with is I've been on several platforms talking about team engagement and municipalities, but I didn't start out at TRAPS. I started out right at NRPA, so being able to just push myself out there. Also, I think the other advice I would give is network, network, network. Carry around those business cards and make connections. You never know how that person can tie you in with whoever and wherever you're trying to get to.
Datis: Such great advice, beyond just the parks and recreation space for anybody in any job, I think it's so important to take time and network and in that community, right?
Sydney: Yeah, the relationship building. I think you and I both know what relationships do. When you're building them, whether it's just strictly professional or even the ones that go from professional into turning into friends, you look forward to hanging with. That's one of the things that I can say in parks and rec is that once you get to meet somebody, you'll see them at conferences or instituting just like, 'hey, how have you been?', and it's almost as if you didn't skip a beat.
Datis: Personally, I've been inspired by your journey from being able to collaborate and work with you on certain things and just witnessing all that you've accomplished in the short time that I've known you. It's also very inspiring to just know the impact you're having on your community and the communities that you're volunteering in, with other parks and rec professionals. So thank you for all that you do and thank you for joining me today.
Sydney: Thank you for having me on this platform. I'm super thankful. I think, our bond was definitely solidified at TRAPS Institute running to the award ceremony, another story for another time. But I'm grateful to be here today, but also just to know you as an individual and all the work that you're doing at Xplor just in general.
Wrapping it up:
Stay tuned for more inspiring episodes as we continue to spotlight remarkable parks and rec professionals. Want to share your story on a future episode of Parks and Recognize? Contact xr_marketing@xplortechnologies.com
