Working for Success - Connecting Research, Policy & Practice

Presented by: Mike Roma, Brad Babiak, & Nick Holt

Speaker Bio

Mike Roma is partner at RC Strategies+PERC, a recreation and parks focused consulting practice and is the past president of the ARPA. Mike has served on the Recreation for Life Foundation board, the Leisure Information Network board, and is currently on the CPRA Board of Directors. Through his work with the association and his consulting work for municipalities from across western and Northern Canada, he is able to share varied perspectives on recreation services.

Brad Babiak is the Director of Strategy and Policy for the Recreation and Physical Activity of Alberta Culture and Tourism. In his previous role as Director of Planning and Performance Measurement at Culture and Tourism his responsibilities included its overall emergency planning. Brad is also one the ministry’s Consequence Management Officers that support the Provincial Operations Centre, which is responsible for coordinating the initial response and maintaining support for a response to a natural or human-induced disaster.

Nick Holt is a Professor and Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation. He leads the Child & Adolescent Sport & Activity lab, conducting research examining psychosocial aspects of participation in physical activity, sport, and play. In recent years his work has focused on understanding ways to promote positive youth development through sport and examining intergenerational changes in active free play.