Sue Cooper

Professional Experience

· Program Director, Simsbury Culture Parks and Recreation

· Director of Recreation, Mansfield, CT

· Director of Dept. of Recreation, Dept. of Parks, Recreation, & Tourism, & the Dept. of Recreation & Public Services in Newport, RI

· Introduced state bill to increase penalties for drug sales in public parks & playgrounds, passed in 1996

· City liaison to film productions: Steven Spielberg’s Amistad and the Farrelly Brother’s Me, Myself & Irene

· Constructed several RI projects: $2.1 million reconstruction of Ocean Beach Facility after Hurricane Bob; Harbormaster Facility and public restrooms with Federal DOT funding; Harbor Welcome Center with a $700,000 US Fish and Wildlife Tier 2 Grant; as well as the rehabilitation of all outdoor athletic facilities, irrigations system installation, playground upgrades, and trail improvements

Affiliations & Offices Held

· Active CRPA Member: Assisted with planning and organizing CRPA’s Annual Conference expansion to a multiple-day event

· CRPA Board Member, 1984-88; CRPA President, 1987

· RI Governor’s transition team on Environment, Newport Juvenile Hearing Board, Governing Council of Newport Community School, President of Public Education Foundation, and Advisory Committee of Newport Families First – Partnership for Families

· NRPA Board of Trustees and NRPA National Congress and NE Regional Conference speaker

Education, Awards, & Certifications

· University of Connecticut, Recreational Services, 1975

· UCONN School of Education Alumni Association “Outstanding Professional Award”

Salvatore Cucia

Professional Experience

· 41-year career in the parks and recreation profession (1978-2019)

· Program Specialist, Wethersfield Parks & Recreation Department (4 years, 1978-1982)

· Recreation Supervisor, Wethersfield Parks & Recreation Department (11 years, 1982-1993)

· Assistant Director, Wethersfield Parks & Recreation Department (26 years, 1993-2019)

· Worked with the Wethersfield Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities in offering year-round Therapeutic Recreation Programs, oversaw the creation and implementation of the department’s website and online registration system

· Served on Building Committees for renovating and/or building facilities at Eleanor Buck Wolf Nature Center, Mill Woods Park, and the W.J. Pitkin Community Center Complex

· Oversaw/assisted with capital improvements at the J.C. Willard Pool Complex, the Mill Woods Swimming Pond, Solomon Welles House, Cove Boat Launch area, ballfields, basketball, and tennis courts.

· Established preschool programs, a Teen Center Youth Council, and an annual holiday “Pancake Breakfast with Santa”

Affiliations & Offices Held

· Active CRPA Member throughout his career: CEU Program Committee Chair

· CRPA Board Member, 1986-90; CRPA President, 1989, CRPA Vice President, 1987

· Former member: NRPA

· Co-Founder and Co-Chair of CRPA’s 2-3 day Northeast Aquatic Seminars

· Offered CRPA’s first 3-day state conference

Education, Awards, & Certifications

· BS, Southern Connecticut State University, 1977

· NRPA Certified Park and Recreation Professional

· CRPA Lifetime Member

· CRPA Distinguished Service (Citation) Award, 2005

· CRPA Young Professional Award, 1989

· CRPA Past President Award

· CRPA’s Special Recognition Award

Curt Vincente

Professional Experience

· Part-time Seasonal, and Interim Positions, Groton Parks and Recreation Department

· Recreation Supervisor, Simsbury Culture, Parks and Recreation Department

· Director of Parks and Recreation, Town of Mansfield

· Oversaw the design, construction, and project management of the Mansfield Community Center, the Mansfield Community Playground, and the Lenard Hall – Community School of the Arts

· Garnered millions in grants for open space acquisition and park improvement projects, such as, Universal Access Trails at Merrow Meadow Park and Bicentennial Pond Recreation Area 

Affiliations & Offices Held

· Active CRPA Member throughout his career: Certification Board Co-Chair, Awards Committee, Hersey Track & Field Committee

· Led the transition from state level professional certifications to national level

· CRPA Board Member, 1988-93; CRPA President, 1992

Education, Awards, & Certifications

· BS, University of Connecticut, 1984

· CRPA Lifetime Member

· CRPA Dorothy G. Mullen Memorial Scholarship, 1983

· CRPA Young Professional Award, 1997

· CRPA Distinguished Service (Citation) Award, 2006

· NRPA NERC Joseph Trapasso Programmers Award