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March 6, 2025

Resource Development Specialist
Hamilton County Parks and Recreation Department

Erica has been a dedicated professional in the parks and recreation field for over twelve years, working in various capacities to allow people of all ages and abilities to create memorable experiences. Over the course of her career, she has held various rules that include a Youth Sports Instructor, Membership Services Coordinator, Childcare Director, Recreation Supervisor, Farmers Market Manager, and now serves as the Resource Development Specialist for Hamilton County Parks and Recreation. She has created and executed programs in a variety of categories (such as childcare, nature, sports, senior, wellness) and large-scale community events (such as a farmers’ market, fall festival, table tennis tournament, and more).

Assistant Superintendent of Special Facilities and Recreation
Lake County Parks

Kara Mackey is an experienced leader and advocate for children, with a passion for creating meaningful growth opportunities through play, nature, and art. Currently, as Assistant Superintendent of Special Facilities and Recreation at Lake County Parks, she oversees a diverse program portfolio across 10 county parks sites, and has previously contributed significantly to Bellaboo's Children’s Museum, helping grow the organization into a successful, award-winning institution. Kara is also deeply committed to community service, and has held leadership roles on several boards, including Purdue Extension Lake County, Lowell Public Library, Purdue University Early Childhood Advisory Council and is the current committee chair for Indiana Parks and Recreation Association Early Childhood & Play Summit.  Kara is acutely aware that she has the unique privilege of being a curator of joy through growth and service and welcomes any and all additions to her toy box!

Ana Disselhorst – Events Coordinator, Whitestown Parks and Recreation, Whitestown, IN

Ana is one of three Events Coordinators for the Whitestown Parks and Recreation Department. She has been in this role for two years, but Ana is not new to the recreation field. She previously worked at Indy Parks and has her B.S. in Recreation, Sport, and Tourism with a concentration in Recreation from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Before obtaining her degree, Ana was in the field working as a camp counselor and director. Ana is always seeking to further her education and is currently obtaining her Certificate in Fundraising Management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy via IUPUI.

At Whitestown, Ana helps plan, manage, and execute 42 events throughout the year. In addition to events, Whitestown has started offering programming to the public with free of charge sport-specific open gym options and paid classes. With Whitestown’s programming only starting in November of 2023, their numbers have happily surprised staff! Since Whitestown’s community is rapidly growing and the Parks Department is keeping up with their needs, all events and programming are extremely well attended.

 Ana is married to her college sweetheart who is an Environmental Scientist. They live in Indianapolis with their yellow lab, Whiskey. All three of them enjoy listening to the Grateful Dead and kayaking throughout Indiana!

Digital Content Coordinator
City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation

Caleb Poer is a marketing professional, content creator, and artist. As the Digital Content Coordinator for the City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, he develops creative campaigns and short-form video content to promote community events. He also manages social media and marketing for The Chocolate Moose and Pizza X, contributing to their brand growth. In total, Caleb oversees a following of over 50,000 across various accounts, using organic strategies to drive engagement. Outside of marketing, he is a dedicated artist with a passion for visual storytelling.

Ashley Greene is a dedicated parks and recreation professional, currently serving as the Manager of Broad Ripple Park with the City of Indianapolis. With 10 years of experience, Ashley has worked on special events, classes, day camps, after school programs and aquatics. She is chair of the IPRA Conference Planning Committee and sits on the 2025 IPRA Board of Directors.

Clinton is from South Bend, IN. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management from Indiana University. Experienced in hospitality and event management with a passion for community engagement and the outdoors.

Gideon is the Park Manager for 8 Parks on the northside of Indianapolis. In this role he serves various recreation needs from managing athletic fields, aquatics, trails, rental facilities, and more. He started his parks Journey as a Lifeguard and has worked for Indy Parks ever since. Gideon’s Specialties are Aquatics Operations, Managing a Large Team. and working with Advisory Groups. He even has a tea shop in one of his parks. When Gideon isn’t in one of his parks, he’s in someone else’s going for a hike or a bike ride.

Shelby Drake is a dedicated Registered Dietitian with a passion for empowering individuals and communities through evidence-based nutrition education. With 9 years of experience in clinical nutrition and community health, Shelby helps Bloomington translate complex science into practical, achievable strategies for better health.

Shelby worked with IU Health Bloomington and IU Health Riley Children's Hospital, specializing in pediatric eating disorders for 7 years, prior to beginning with Bloomington Parks and Recreation in 2023. In her time with Bloomington Parks and Recreation she has grown the health and wellness position from a single position to having 3 staff and 4 interns throughout the year. In addition to staffing resources, she has built a community-academic partnership with IU School of Public Health, which allows for research and evaluation opportunities.