2026: A Year Defined by Connection and Collaboration

By Michael Clark, CPRE, AFO

Good morning, everyone, and thank you for being here. I hope you all have enjoyed being in Roanoke over the past couple of days.

Before anything else, I want to say “thank you” to those who made this conference possible: the host committee here in Roanoke, the VRPS staff, and the many professionals across the state who put in long hours behind the scenes. You all know better than anyone: events like these don’t just happen. They take time, care, and a commitment to and belief in the value of what it is we do. So, to everyone who had a hand in making this possible: thank you.

Standing here as the incoming President of VRPS is both humbling and meaningful in ways that I’ve struggled to put into words. Like many of you, I didn’t begin this career with an eye on leadership or titles. I started as a lifeguard: sunburnt, tired, and absolutely convinced that I had THE best summer job in the world. What I didn’t realize then was that I had found a profession that would define my life’s work.

Over the past 26 years, I’ve had the privilege of working across almost every facet of this field, from programming and operations to planning and community engagement, and recently to economic development and placemaking. Each chapter has taught me that what we do in parks and recreation isn’t just about facilities and programs, it’s about connection. It’s about the places and experiences that remind people they belong, that they have access to something meaningful. It’s about the notion that public spaces matter.

I’ll admit: at one point, I lost touch with the Society. Not entirely intentional, but more in the way that happens when life and work start to run faster than you do. But when I found my way back, I was reminded of how much this organization has shaped me and how vital it is to the health of our profession. Coming back to VRPS felt less like rejoining something and more like realigning with what this work has always meant.

As I step into this role, my focus is simple: to continue advancing the VRPS Strategic Plan; to strengthen our existing partnerships; and to build new ones across different sectors like public health, tourism, economic development, and the broader outdoor recreation industry. The work we do sits at the intersection of so many other professions and that’s where, I feel, our greatest potential lies.

Equally important is the continued support of our service areas and resource groups. They are the backbone of this organization, where we have the greatest reach; where ideas are tested; where leaders are grown; where meaningful progress begins. And to our young professionals: you are not just the future of the Society; you are already shaping the present. Your creativity, your impatience with “the way we’ve always done it,” and your commitment to inclusion and innovation, that’s the energy that keeps this organization relevant and alive.

As we move forward, our strength lies in showing up for one another. Our strength lies in sharing what we learn. Our strength lies in staying curious about how we can better serve. Despite how fast it feels things are changing around us, our purpose remains clear: to create spaces and experiences that make our communities more livable.

So thank you for being here; for leading; for mentoring; for believing in the power of parks and recreation. I’m committed to making 2026 a year defined by connection and collaboration in a collective effort to build the kind of communities that remind people just how good it feels to belong.

Thank you.

Mike Clark, 2026 VRPS President