News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Jennifer Holland has been developing and delivering programs for Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) for the past five years. She's been working in the field since she was 15 years old, and had previously worked as a program manager with Willamalane Park and Recreation District in Springfield.
Last summer, she determined that she needed to enhance her education in the strategic aspects of her work.
"I felt I needed more education around the bigger picture of local government, and how politics plays into that," she told The Nugget. "I wanted to be the best person I could be in this position to serve the community."
Sisters Park & Recreation District Executive Director Jennifer Holland graduated from Louisiana State University with a Master in Public Administration degree, applying practical experience she has gained through working on SPRD's new community center project.
Holland enrolled in an online Masters in Public Administration program through Louisiana State University in September, 2021, and graduated with her with a Master in Public Administration degree in August 2024.
Holland had the advantage of being able to apply her work in Sisters to her academic work. She did her practicum at SPRD where she focused on the planning and development of the new community center, which will be housed at the former Sisters Elementary School site.
"I think I was one of very few (in the program) who had been working in the field for a long time on such a big project," she said.
The program drew students from across the nation - many of them aspiring to city management positions. Holland said she was the only parks & recreation person in the program.
The program involved challenges of organizational analysis, using different "frames" to analyze problems, Holland said.
"When a problem is in front of you, there's not only one answer, and there's not only one cause," she said.
The master's program covered critical thinking, strategic planning, and the political aspects of working in the public sector.
In practical terms, that means building relationships with policy-makers whose efforts can have a direct impact on what her district can do. It also means working with other local agencies.
"We are a smaller district," she said. "We have limited resources."
That puts a premium on strong relationships with the school district and the City of Sisters.
Holland said that the organizational analysis portion of the program was particularly applicable as SPRD seeks to avail themselves of opportunities, while simultaneously not taking on more than their capacity can allow.
The SPRD director noted that the program's emphasis on organizational culture and its impact on effectiveness was striking.
"I never really thought of it as that impactful all the way down to what your client is getting," she said. "That was a big 'ah-hah' for me."
Holland's extensive hands-on operational experience helped her in her final exam, which she was able to approach with applied knowledge.
The SPRD board of directors was very supportive of Holland's professional development efforts, and is proud of her accomplishment in earning her degree.
"I really appreciate the board's support for me to get my degree," she said.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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