Professional Development and Services

Recreation Resources Service

The Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management provides the Recreation Resources Service for park and recreation providers throughout North Carolina. Founded in 1943, the Recreation Resources Service is the nation’s first state-funded technical assistance program created for park and recreation professionals.

Our program’s services are provided through a partnership with the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. The Recreation Resources Service was established to provide assistance to the public and private sectors of North Carolina’s leisure service industry, including municipal and county park and recreation departments, nonprofit agencies, private recreation agencies, recreation consumer groups, and recreation and park board and commission members.

Today, the Recreation Resources Service offers four types of services:

• Technical assistance
• Field administration for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund
• Applied research
• Continuing education

Assistance for the Recreation Resources Service is offered throughout the state of North Carolina by three field offices, as well as the main office located at 3024 Biltmore Hall on the NC State campus.

For more information about the Recreation Resources Service, contact Director Charlynne Smith.

Oglebay Schools

We sponsor the largest recreation technical assistance and professional service program in the United States. In the past 50 years, more than 15,000 people have been certified through its national training programs, located at Oglebay Park in Wheeling, West Virginia. In addition to the National Training Center at Oglebay Park, we partner with several national associations to sponsor our programs. Partners include the National Association of State Park Directors, the National Association of Park Foundations, and the National Recreation and Park Association.

For more information, please contact Candace Goode Vick.

Oglebay Programs

Revenue Development and Management School

Attendees will learn proven revenue management and development techniques for organizations associated with state or local parks, recreation, leisure services, military recreation and other non-profits.

Park and Recreation Maintenance Management School

Park and recreation professionals will learn how to develop and manage a wide variety of maintenance programs.

Supervisors’ Management School

Park and recreation supervisors will develop management and supervisory skills and gain tools necessary to enhance the impact they have upon the day-to-day activities of their organization.

State Park Leadership School

New supervisors and mid-level managers will learn core competencies essential to state park management that will help them move into greater responsibilities.

Sustainability Institute

Professionals from zoos, aquariums, parks, and other public facilities will learn how to create a sustainability plan for their institutions, while broadening their understanding of sustainable practices.

Park Foundation School

Attendees will develop a better understanding of how to start, build and strengthen park foundations, friends groups and other nonprofit organizations that support parks and recreation agencies.