City of Port St. Lucie recognizes certified Parks and Recreation professionals
Pictured – Certified Parks and Recreation Professionals Larry Lankow, Jennifer Romberger and Robert Chenier
Throughout the year, the City of Port St. Lucie Parks & Recreation team maintain and cultivate quality parks and impactful recreational programming for city residents and visitors. July is National Parks and Recreation Month and the City of Port St. Lucie Parks and Recreation staff have created a plethora of engagement opportunities for staff and the community to celebrate all month long.
Today, July 16, the City of Port St. Lucie celebrates Parks and Recreation Professionals Day. Three exemplary Parks and Recreation employees, Jennifer Romberger, Robert Chenier and Larry Lankow, have been recognized for their service by the city. These professionals have gone the extra mile to receive the Certified Parks & Recreation Professional certification through National Recreation & Park Association (NRPA).
Jennifer Romberger is a recreation specialist at the Parks & Recreation MIDFLORIDA Event Center. Jennifer has been with the department for 11 years.
“As a lifelong resident of Port St. Lucie, I experienced firsthand what a treasure this community is. I always knew I wanted to give back to the community I fell in love with. Following the example of my department, I decided to become a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional.”
Robert Chenier holds the title of project manager administrator at the Port St. Lucie Community Center. Robert has been with the department a total of 6 years.
“I returned to the city while completing my master’s degree but knew that I couldn’t stop there. I wanted to continue learning and growing throughout my service to our community. Attaining my CPRP through the National Recreation and Parks Association affirms my commitment to being a Park & Recreation professional and requires my ongoing commitment to innovation and best practices in our field through continuing education. It’s a pleasure to serve each day on an award-winning team that is making a generational impact in the lives of our community.”
Larry Lankow is the recreation manager assigned to the Parks & Recreation MIDFLORIDA Event Center. Larry has been with the department for 19 years and has worked in many divisions and positions until ultimately achieving his recreation manager title.
“I decided to pursue my CPRP certification to enhance and expand my knowledge as a Parks and Recreation professional. It is important to me to be an active learner and take part in new experiences to better myself, my coworkers and my community. I am committed to the advancement of our Parks and Recreation Department and feel more equipped to do so with the trainings and classes offered through the certification process. I plan to continue and retain my certification to ensure continued growth and prosperity for my community.”
Port St. Lucie Parks and Recreation department Assistant Director Brad Keen said, “Professionals like Jennifer, Robert and Larry are exemplary in service to our team, and their commitment and inner recognition to pursue certifications through our national organization will minister them well on the future path in this profession.”
On December 3, 2019, the City of Port St. Lucie applied to the Commission on Accreditation of Parks & Recreation Agencies (CAPRA). There are more than 24,000 park and recreation agencies throughout the United States, NRPA reports only 183 are CAPRA accredited. Pursuing CAPRA accreditation is a two-year process, where the City of Port St. Lucie had to produce evidence of compliance of standards within the park and recreation industry.
September 30, 2021, the Port St. Lucie Parks and Recreation Department will accept accreditation by the National Recreation and Parks Association at their Annual Conference in Nashville Tennessee.
