The New York State Parking Association held its
first Summer Retreat on June 17. Over 100
people attended the all-day event which was held
at the famous Hinderwadel's Grove in Syracuse,
NY.
The morning program included a dynamic
inter-active presentation by nationally-renowned
motivational speaker Mr. Julius Rhodes,
President, MPR Group. His presentation,
"Establishing the Garden" was a lead-in into the
theme for the day, which was Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and
sustainability.
David Keefe, one of the founding members of
NYSPA, said a few words about the vision the
original members had when they established the
Association in the early 1990s. Also in
attendance were Glen Sicard (University of
Rochester Medical Center) and Craig Barber (AllPro
Parking) who were there in the beginning
formative years.
A roundtable panel discussion was facilitated by
NYSPA Executive Committee members Ms. Johnna
Frosini (College at Brockport) and Ms. Maria
Wallace (Buffalo University). The lively
discussion involved "seed" questions posed to
the panelists and a back-and-forth dialogue with
the attendees covering topics such as the LEED
point system, alternative fuels, lighting,
energy, Transportation Demand Management,
technology and related topics.
In the afternoon Julius took over as Master of
Ceremonies for several outdoor activities that
focused on team building involving giants,
wizards and dwarfs as well as flipping a tarp
while 40 people kept their feet on it. Quite an
achievement that vividly demonstrated the
importance of working as a team! The day wound
down with some physically challenging and
not-so-physically challenging events to continue
the teambuilding theme as well as networking,
relaxation and just plain fun. There was
something for everyone!
Beginning with a continental breakfast and
continuing throughout the afternoon,
Hinderwadel's Grove provided an opulent choice
of foods, deserts and beverages for which they
are famous.
NYSPA heavily subsidized the event as its way of
saying "thank you" to its regular members,
affiliates and consultants. The event was also
used as a kick-off for a renewed membership
drive as non-members were invited to attend at
the same cost as members.
The event was such a success that already the
Board of Directors is looking into scheduling
the second Summer retreat in 2009.
