Canton Leisure Services is pleased to announce two of its staff members, Canton Deputy Director Jon LaFever and Youth Recreation Specialist Laura Mortier, were recently elected to the mParks Board of Directors.
Starting September 2017, LaFever will serve as mParks President-Elect and Mortier will serve as mParks Board Member at Large. The mParks Board of Directors is responsible for leading and governing this state advocacy association, formerly known as the Michigan Recreation and Park Association. Of its seven members, five mParks Board members are elected by the membership and two are appointed by the President upon approval of the Board.
"We're very proud that these talented Canton Township employees are sharing their strong leadership skills on the state level," said Greg Hohenberger, Canton Leisure Services Director. "Their expertise and passion for the industry will help mParks remain progressive as a parks and recreation advocate and advance its goals and initiatives for future generations to come.”
Since 2001, LaFever has worked in a variety of parks and recreation capacities with Canton Leisure Services and as Deputy Director currently oversees and coordinates operations at several Canton Leisure Services facilities. In addition, LaFever and his staff are responsible for the planning and execution of Leisure Services large-scale special events. An mParks member since 2001, LaFever has been a frequent presenter at annual mParks Conference & Trade Shows, is a member of the Youth & Teens and Programming Committees, has served as the mParks Michigan Youth Symposium Chair and was recognized as the organization’s New Professional of the Year in 2006. He is currently an mParks Director at Large.
Since the age of 17, Mortier has worked for Canton Leisure Services, starting out as a Junior Day Camp Counselor and now is the full-time Youth Recreation Specialist. She currently oversees the operations and programming of the B.L.O.C.K. Youth and Teen Center, summer camps, and special events. Mortier has been involved in many mParks committees and programs, serving as the Chair of the Youth and Teen Focus Group and Michigan Youth Symposium. In addition, she was a Youth Innovative Program winner and member of the Conference and Trade show committee, Diversity Committee, and most-recently the Professional Development Committee, with the development of a LeadHERship workshop series.
Both LaFever and Mortier are Certified Park and Recreation Professionals (CPRP), overseen by the National Certification Board (NCB) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). This CPRP certification is granted to individuals employed in the recreation, park resources and leisure services professions who meet the eligibility requirements – including a combination of higher education and/or work experience – and who successfully complete the national CPRP examination.
Founded in 1935, mParks provides advocacy, resources, and professional development opportunities to a devoted and diverse membership of park and recreation agencies, professionals, vendors, and advocates. mParks was established to provide its members with industry resources, to advocate for the profession, and to prove parks, recreation, and leisure services matter. For more information about mParks, visit www.mparks.org.
Canton Leisure Services currently maintains ten parks and 35 public buildings on sites covering over 1300 acres for Canton Township, as well as develops and implements recreational programming and services for individuals of all ages and abilities. Canton Leisure Services has also joined the ranks of the elite park and recreation departments across the country by earning re-accreditation in 2013 through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). Leisure Services remains one of 155 agencies in the country currently holding national accreditation and is one of only four CAPRA accredited agencies in the state of Michigan. For additional information about Canton Leisure Services, please visit www.cantonfun.org or call 734/394-5460.