Register Now for GLPTI! February 23-26, 2026
With 80 years running, GLPTI is the premier conference for parks and recreation professionals. Join us at the Potawatomi Inn at Pokagon State Park in beautiful Angola Indiana!
Featuring:
- Up to 28 unique educational sessions and workshops to choose from!
- Three full conference days, with two-day option!
- Networking opportunities- in-person and online
- Nightly social events including Pokagon’s famous Toboggan Run!
- GLPTI Annual Awards Presentation and Luncheon
- Up to 2.6 Continuing Education Units (CEU) available ($20 additional fee)
- Virtual registration included with Full Conference registration
- Access to recorded webinars for 60 days!
- Lodging and meals at the Potawatomi Inn available!
- Virtual attendance option includes:
- Up to 12 educational sessions, including webinars and livestreamed sessions
- Online networking and social opportunities
- Up to 1.475 Continuing Education Units (CEU) available ($20 additional fee)
- Access to recorded materials for 60 days!
Tracks
Industry leaders provide educational sessions and hands-on workshops on timely and relevant topics along five tracks.
- Personnel and Career Development:Leadership, communication, staff training, management, and evaluation
- Park and Facilities Maintenance:Trends, best practices, and training for facilities and grounds maintenance
- Natural Resource Management:Environmental stewardship, management, and sustainability of park and natural resources
- Natural and Cultural Interpretation:Tools and techniques to connect guests, schools, and communities with natural and cultural resources
- Women in Parks Leadership
The Eppley Center for Parks and Public Land’s 80th Great Lakes Park Training Institute is proud to offer its certificate program for women leaders! The Women in Parks Leadership certificate, led by women from the National Park Service, park and recreation districts, conservation districts, and Eppley, has designed a curriculum that helps future women leaders meet several significant challenges in leading agencies, especially as these spaces evolve to meet the demands of changing climates, health needs, and the diversity of the nation. The program will be held February 23 to 26, 2026 as part of the Great Lakes Park Training Institute.
Note: Women in Park Leadership is a separate listing from the GLPTI "full conference registration." Please make sure you select the "Women in Parks Leadership Program" option while checking out.
Session List
Tentative Schedule. Subject to change.
| Monday 2/23/2026 | Session | Speaker(s) |
| 12:30-12:45 | | New Attendees Orientation | |
| 1:00-3:00 | Workshop | Chainsaw Operations and Directional Tree Felling Basics | Tyler Dennis/Jake Shapley/Stanley Baelz |
| 1:00-3:00 | Workshop | The Elements of Successful Horse Trails | Lora Goerlich |
| 1:00-3:00 | Workshop | Mechanical Systems Tour- Potawatomi Inn and Toboggan Run | Pokagon staff |
| 2:00-2:45 | Virtual | Virtual session TBD | |
| Tuesday 2/24/2026 | Session | Speaker(s) |
| 8:30-10:00 | General | Creating and Ensuring a Relevant Parks and Recreation Agency | Chris Nunes |
| 10:30-12:30 | Workshop | Chainsaw Operations and Directional Tree Felling Demo (Limited to Basics workshop attendees) | Tyler Dennis/Jake Shapley/Stanley Baelz |
| 10:30-11:15 | Concurrent | 101 years of Pokagon | Pokagon staff |
| 10:30-11:15 | Concurrent | Urban White-tailed Deer: Understanding how we got here and what we can do. | John Cepek |
| 10:30-11:15 | Virtual | The Beginner's Guide to Foraging-Ethics & Best Practices | Timothy Frost II |
| 11:30-12:15 | | Topical Roundtables | |
| 11:30-12:15 | Virtual | Inclusive Hiring: Equitable Practices for Interviewing and Employing Individuals with Disabilities | Rebecca Jones/Brady Powers |
| 1:45-2:30 | Concurrent | Inclusive Hiring: Equitable Practices for Interviewing and Employing Individuals with Disabilities | Rebecca Jones/Brady Powers |
| 1:45-2:30 | Concurrent | Grounds for Greatness: Best Practices for Sustainable and Strategic Site Management | Chris Nunes |
| 1:45-2:30 | Concurrent | The Beginner's Guide to Foraging-Ethics & Best Practices | Timothy Frost II |
| 1:45-2:30 | Virtual | Urban White-tailed Deer: Understanding how we got here and what we can do. | John Cepak |
| 2:45-3:30 | Concurrent | Preventative vs. Reactive Maintenance: Optimizing Your Park Maintenance Resources | Chris Nunes |
| 2:45-3:30 | Concurrent | Role Playing Stressful Situations | Sally Pelto-Wheeler |
| 2:45-3:30 | Concurrent | Investing in the Future: Ballfield Renovations for a Superior Experience | Steven Paterkiewicz |
| 2:45-3:30 | Virtual | Virtual session TBD | |
| 4:00-4:45 | Concurrent | Maximizing Employee Engagement: Practical Approaches Using Gallup’s Q12 Framework | Rebecca Holbrook |
| 4:00-4:45 | Concurrent | Forestry Management for Parks | Anthony Abbate |
| 4:00-4:45 | Concurrent | Employee Safety Handbook | Brad Brenske |
| 4:00-4:45 | Concurrent | Fertilizer | Tom Rychlik |
| 4:00-4:45 | Virtual | Preventative vs. Reactive Maintenance: Optimizing Your Park Maintenance Resources | Chris Nunes |
| Wednesday 2/25/2026 | Session | Speaker(s) |
| 8:30-10:00 | General | Are You Ready? Lessons Learned from a mass shooting at a City Splash Pad | Ann Echols |
| 10:30-12:30 | Workshop | The How To of an Accessibility Assessment - Part 1 | Colleen Durkin-Blackburn/Ric Edwards |
| 10:30-11:15 | Concurrent | Beyond the Slide: A Team Approach to Safer, Smarter Playgrounds | Jesse "Jes" Kinsland/James Kim |
| 10:30-11:15 | Concurrent | From Bulbs to Annual Flowers: Season Changes Through a Horticulture Lens | Kate Perez |
| 10:30-11:15 | Concurrent | Engaging in Difficult Conversations | Amanda Foor |
| 11:30-12:15 | | Topical Roundtables | |
| 11:30-12:15 | Virtual | Engaging in Difficult Conversations | Amanda Foor |
| 1:30-3:30 | Workshop | The How To of an Accessibility Assessment - Part 2 | Colleen Durkin-Blackburn/Ric Edwards |
| 1:30-3:30 | Workshop | Forest Therapeutic Programming | Ellen Koehler |
| 1:30-3:30 | Workshop | Microburns | John Brittenham |
| 1:30-3:30 | Workshop | Historic Building Restoration | Pokagon staff |
| 2:45-3:30 | Virtual | Using Your Resources to Create Volunteer Interpreters | Shannon Hughes/Jennifer Elsworth |
| 4:00-4:45 | Concurrent | What do I do now? Career planning for new professionals | Erin Parker |
| 4:00-4:45 | Concurrent | Using Your Resources to Create Volunteer Interpreters | Shannon Hughes/Jennifer Elsworth |
| 4:00-4:45 | Concurrent | Facilities and Fleet Winterization | John McKeown |
| 4:00-4:45 | Concurrent | Emerging Invasive Species | Emily Leslie |
| 4:00-4:45 | Virtual | Outdoor Classrooms- How & Why | Lauren Azoury |
| Thursday 2/26/2026 | Session | Speaker(s) |
| 9:00-9:45 | Concurrent | Dark Sky Compliant Lighting | Carl Gorra/Kristi Solberg |
| 9:00-9:45 | Concurrent | Outdoor Classrooms- How & Why | Lauren Azoury |
| 9:00-9:45 | Concurrent | Math Sucks: Math Hacks That Can Help Your Operations | Ken Kerfoot |
| 9:00-9:45 | Virtual | Virtual session TBD | |
| 10:00 | Brunch | | |
| 10:30-11:45 | General | General Session TBD | |
| 11:45 | Closing Ceremony | | |
