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2025-2026 Projects

From the 2025-2026 cohort, details about individuals and their projects can be found below. To view a project, download the project file under the individual's name. To read more about each individual, visit their blog post on ORPA website by clicking Blog.

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2025-2026

Cayla Gleason

Bend Parks & Recreation

Navigating With Confidence

Building a Virtual Operations Manual for Facility Operations

  • PDF Download
  • ORPA Blog
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2025-2026

Zsolt Lehoczky

Portland Parks & Recreation

Building Operational Infrastructure: A Standardized Onboarding & Workforce Systems Model for Natural Area Management

Create a centralized manual that standardizes training, improves information access, and supports efficient and coordinated land stewardship operations.

  • PDF Download
  • ORPA Blog
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2025 - 2026

Ryan Fitzpatrick

Portland Parks & Recreation

Community Engagement and Beautification

Design a community-created rooftop mural that increases visibility of Montavilla Community Center, engages local artists and residents, and builds an ongoing program for community involvement and site awareness.

  • PDF Download
  • ORPA Blog
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2025 - 2026

Kira Hein

City of Tualatin

The Best Uses for the Future Basalt Creek Park

Determine the best uses for the future Basalt Creek Park within the Portland Metropolitan area

  • PDF Download
  • ORPA Blog
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2025 - 2026

Adam Kau

Bend Park & Recreation District

The "Playback" Form

Modernizing Customer Feedback Documentation

Redesign the patron feedback system to create a streamlined, trackable process for collecting, responding to, and archiving comments and suggestions to improve service quality and accountability.

  • PDF Download
  • ORPA Blog
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2025 - 2026

Patrick Key

City of Portland

Updating Natural Area Replacement Cost Model

Develop an improved methodology for calculating natural area replacement value that better reflects true land and restoration costs for financial planning and prioritization.

  • PDF Download
  • ORPA Blog
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2025 - 2026

Torin Tostanoski

Lincoln City Parks & Recreation

Free Water Safety Educational Series

Create a three-part public water safety education series in partnership with local and national organizations to deliver engaging, expert-led instruction on safe recreation in pools, waterways, lakes, and coastal environments.

  • PDF Download
  • ORPA Blog
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2025 - 2026

Peter Swinton

Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District

Aligning Park Level-of-Service with Long-Range Goals: Comparing Common Models

Evaluate and align THPRD’s park level-of-service methodology with its 2023 Comprehensive Plan goals and identify alternative approaches for more effective resource allocation and decision-making.

  • PDF Download
  • ORPA Blog
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2025-2026

Adam Stebbins

Benton County

McBee Campground Reimagined: Where Legacy Meets the Next Generation

Develop a management and stewardship plan for Hubert K. McBee Park & Campground that supports sustainable recreation, protects natural resources, and strengthens regional trail and park connectivity.

  • PDF Download
  • ORPA Blog
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2025-2026

Michael Wiese

Portland Parks & Recreation

Interactive Workbook for Youth -- Poolside Path

Develop an engaging, interactive handbook with a game-based activity system that educates children and families about water safety while promoting participation in Portland Parks & Recreation’s aquatic programs.

  • PDF Download
  • ORPA Blog
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2025-2026

Darian Bethel

Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District

Exploring Alternative Funding Pathways to Increase Access to Parks & Recreation

Create a process map and decision tool for alternative funding that guides grant selection and expands program access by reducing participant costs.

  • PDF Download
  • ORPA Blog
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2025 - 2026

Chris Ewoniuk

Wilsonville Parks & Recreation

Aquatic Features Operator Manual

Create an operations manual that consolidates procedures and best practices for Wilsonville’s aquatic features to support staff operations and maintenance.

  • PDF Download
  • ORPA Blog
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2025 - 2026

Cinthya Rodriguez Méndez

Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District

Neurodiversity in the Workplace

Create a set of neurodiversity support kits and accompanying staff education materials that promote inclusion, enhance workplace accessibility, and strengthen understanding of neurodiverse experiences across THPRD programs and teams.

  • PDF Download
  • ORPA Blog
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2025 - 2026

Kristina Hauge

City of Corvallis

What Do We Have Here? 
Creating Clarity for Our Park Reservations 

Standardize and align public-facing, staff, and on-site information for outdoor rentable sites to ensure accurate, consistent, and up-to-date reservation details and improve user experience.

  • PDF Download
  • ORPA Blog
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2025 - 2026

Andy Perry

Corvallis Parks & Recreation

Modernizing Our Memorial Program

Redesign and streamline the Memorial Donation Program by updating forms, improving communication, and creating a public-facing memorial map to make the process more accessible and consistent.

  • PDF Download
  • ORPA Blog
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2025 - 2026

Hanna Dörnhofer

Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District

Growing a Diverse Green Workforce: Internships, Pathways, and Partnerships

Expand and strengthen youth environmental workforce pathways by enhancing THPRD internships, building regional partnerships, and improving job transitions for BIPOC youth.

  • PDF Download
  • ORPA Blog
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2025 - 2026

William Knab

City of Tigard

The Lasich Native Plant Project

Establish a pilot native plant propagation garden at the Lasich property to supply park maintenance projects with locally grown plant material, reduce external sourcing, and model a sustainable in-house production system.

  • PDF Download
  • ORPA Blog

Oregon Recreation and Park Association
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