Community Rec Magazine

Mark Hines on Budget-Smart Aquatics, Air Quality and Safety

In episode 34, Mark Hines, the VP of sales and marketing at Paddock Pool Equipment Company, details the persistent challenge of building and operating aquatics facilities on tight budgets. Hines notes while budget pressures and shrinking government funding aren’t new in community rec, they’re intensified by the need to serve diverse user groups — from older adults wanting warm-water aerobics to kids wanting play features and potential swim teams. He dispels the misconception that meeting these needs always requires high-cost solutions, pointing to creative phasing, smart product choices and hard-to-find but still-available grants. Hines also emphasizes budgeting early and often, clearly defining non-negotiables like indoor air quality, safety flooring and long-term ROI items such as regenerative media filtration. He highlights trends in safety and the rise of stationary surf waves, a growing sub-industry in aquatics. Hines explains how Paddock Pool Equipment focuses on essential “guts” like gutters, filtration, and evacuated indoor air systems, helping protect buildings, improve user comfort and control lifecycle costs. He concludes by advocating for team-based project planning with builders, architects, and suppliers to stay on budget and aligned with core goals. Enjoy!

Eric Williams on the Keys to Lasting Impact in Community Recreation

Eric Williams, the former executive director of the Wayman Palmer branch at the YMCA of Greater Toledo, reflects on his 31-year YMCA career across rec centers from around the country, highlighting his roots in community recreation outreach and gang intervention work. He shares how early mentors shaped his leadership and helped him launch impactful programs, including a computer access initiative for youth. Willams also traces the sector’s shift from deep, relationship-based outreach toward membership-driven models, noting while financial sustainability is necessary, outreach has suffered. He identifies funding as the biggest challenge facing nonprofit recreation centers today, with declining United Way and government dollars and intense competition among local nonprofits. Despite these pressures, Williams emphasizes listening to communities, building strong networks, mentoring young professionals, and leading with passion and genuine care as the keys to lasting impact in community recreation. Enjoy!

Wendy White on How the AI Advantage is in the Data

In episode 32, Wendy White, the chief marketing and partner officer at Daxko, details that despite the buzz around AI, there’s one thing most people aren’t talking about — AI doesn’t create insight from nothing. It learns from the data your platform has been collecting over time. So, the better and longer a platform has been tracking member behavior, program participation and payment patterns for organizations, the smarter its AI is. This episode assists nonprofit leaders with understanding what data depth actually means for AI outcomes, and what questions they should be asking their technology partners. As one of the leading voices on AI adoption in the health and wellness space, White brings both the strategic perspective and the practical expertise to make this a conversation nonprofit leaders can actually learn from. Enjoy!

Marty Haberer on the Bold Campus Renovation of the Levis JCC

In Episode 31, Marty Haberer, the president and CEO of the Adolph & Rose Levis JCC, discusses a major campus reinvention centered on a new 22,000-square-foot facility with 9,000 square feet of outdoor space, including plans for an amphitheater and playground. The project stems from a strategic property swap of the JCC’s 100-acre campus and a successful $9.4 million fundraising effort. Demolition began on April 1 and reopening is targeted for November 2026. Haberer also details the JCC’s strategic exit from traditional fitness due to local country club and gym popularity, while still maintaining a focus on wellness, culture, summer camp and preschool. He emphasizes thoughtful, data-driven planning — “ready, aim, fire” — and inclusive leadership engagement for any major capital project. Enjoy!

Erica Barnes on Elevating Inclusive Family Programming to Maximize Retention

In episode 30, Erica Barnes, the director of business development at NinjaZone, details about challenges and opportunities facing community recreation centers. Specifically, she explains demand from families is strong, but many centers struggle to align with what they truly want — high-quality, affordable and inclusive family programming that engages all ages. She argues marketing is often blamed unfairly, and the real issues are program quality, retention and staff engagement, including continuous staff education. Barnes outlines best practices she sees among successful centers: offering kids programs that demonstrate visible progress, creating programming that genuinely appeals to children and making operations easier so staff aren’t constantly scrambling to fill schedules. She highlights a major industry trend toward non-traditional, inclusive activities serving kids who aren’t drawn to traditional sports. NinjaZone fits this shift by providing inclusive family programming plus a comprehensive support system. They tailor implementations to each center’s goals and spaces, from racquetball courts to aquatic viewing areas. Barnes’ key advice is to start thoughtfully, choose partners carefully, plan long term and avoid last-minute program launches that burden staff. Watch the podcast now for expert advice from an industry thought leader. Enjoy!