There are many words one could use to describe NRPA Senior Marketing and Communications Specialist Roxanne Sutton — baker extraordinaire, cheese-head, “proud 1980s baby,” meme dictionary, to name a handful. Here among her colleagues, Sutton is all these things and much more. She’s our social media guru and master of public relations, with brainstorming powers to rival any champion of free association. When NRPA has something it needs to communicate to its more than 50,000 members, Sutton will surely have a hand in crafting that message and ensuring its clarity and impact. We Facebooked, direct messaged and emailed Sutton to get her thoughts about the importance of good communication and, of course, her favorite NRPA memories.

Parks & Recreation magazine: Talk a bit about your background and your professional journey to the world of associations, parks and recreation. 

Roxanne Sutton: I spent the first seven years of my life in Wisconsin, but did my growing up in the river valley of Parkersburg, West Virginia…I started dancing at age two, which led me to pursue dance as a professional career at Wright State University in Ohio. After two years, I decided that communications and public relations would be more suited to my needs, so I moved to Virginia, married my high school sweetheart and graduated from George Mason University. Once I changed career paths, I decided I wanted to work for a nonprofit. I worked at a public relations firm straight out of college, which, depending on the client, sometimes satisfied my need to feel as though I was making a difference in others’ lives. But when I saw an opening at NRPA, I jumped at the chance to work for a nonprofit association whose main mission is to improve the lives of all people through the power of parks and recreation — something I had experienced personally as a child at my own local park. 

P&R: July is a really excellent time for public awareness for our field, as Park and Recreation Month is a wonderful way to promote all the healthy benefits our members work so hard to offer. How do you leverage this observance to its greatest effect? 

Sutton: Internally, the marketing and communications team works hard to make sure we are promoting Park and Recreation Month using every resource we have. We use all of our own communications channels, but also rely heavily on partners, media, advocacy allies and, most importantly, our members to not only make sure everyone knows about and participates in Park and Recreation Month, but that the general public recognizes the important role parks and recreation plays in our daily lives. 

P&R: What advice would you give to an agency wishing to better promote its offerings, not just during Park and Recreation Month, but all year long?

Sutton: Find out where your audiences are and reach them there. Perhaps you thought your senior citizens relied on the local newspaper for information, when maybe they are getting more and more information from their grandkids on Facebook. It’s not always easy, but the best way to get started is to just ask. Anecdotal evidence is better than none at all. Once you find out where your various audiences are, target messages that speak directly to them. Experiment with different messaging and tactics to see what works.  

P&R: What’s one of your best/favorite/most meaningful anecdotes from your time at NRPA?

Sutton: There are too many to choose from! Meeting First Lady [Michelle Obama] and Amy Poehler at our Commit to Health launch. Taking a four-hour nature- and bird-watching tour on the Patuxent River. Rescuing a Guinea pig from the bushes at HQ. Creating this year’s Park and Rec Month promo video. There’s never a dull moment at NRPA!

Samantha Bartram is the Executive Editor of Parks & Recreation magazine.