Virtual Education: Leading Like Gumby: Flexible, Adaptable Leadership for Parks and Rec Teams
January 29, 2026 | 1:00 - 2:30 PM ET | 0.1 CEUs
Leading Like Gumby: Flexible, Adaptable Leadership for Parks and Rec Teams
Chamreece Diggs, Special Programs Superintendent, Greensboro, NC Parks and Recreation
Successful leadership requires more than just authority—it demands emotional intelligence, adaptability, and a deep appreciation for team diversity. This engaging session draws inspiration from Gumby, the iconic flexible character, to explore how supervisors can embody flexibility and empathy to lead effective, motivated, and inclusive teams. Participants will learn to recognize and support the unique work styles, strengths, and differences of staff while cultivating trust, connection, and tactful communication. Through real-world scenarios and interactive activities, this session will empower Parks and Rec professionals to "stretch" into stronger, more emotionally intelligent leaders.
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Describe flexible leadership and explain its value in the Parks and Recreation context.
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Demonstrate strategies for recognizing and adapting to diverse work styles and personalities. Discuss principles of emotional intelligence to build trust and connection with staff.
- Build a personal "Gumby Leadership Toolkit" with resources learned and shared from peers.
About Chamreece: Chamreece is a proud graduate of NCA&TSU with a degree in Recreation Administration and earned her MBA from UNCG. A Certified Parks and Recreation Professional, with 15 years of experience, Chamreece is the Special Programs Superintendent with Greensboro Parks and Recreation. She supervises Adaptive and Inclusive Recreation, Active Adults, Greensboro Youth Council, and Aquatics. Chamreece believes in enriching the field of parks and recreation through innovation, exploration, and collaboration. She prides herself on being equity focused, people oriented, progressive, and a creative critical thinker.
All FRPA Virtual Education Sessions are live and encourage you to stay engaged so that discussion can take place during and after the presentation. Each session has been scheduled for the time of the presentation but please keep in mind that we will have around seven to ten minutes of introductory announcements and possibly words from our sponsor during the session. These may cause the session to run over the allotted time by 10-15 minutes.
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