ORFA Professional Development Pillars

The ORFA’s is committed to collecting and sharing our members’ frontline and managerial experiences. This research, and educational efforts, results in industry best practice that often focuses on four major areas of the recreation facility profession. Each area includes an ever-evolving list of subject matter relevant to enhancing the skills and knowledge of today’s recreation facility professional.

Buildings and Grounds: includes all types of sports fields, turf (natural and artificial), parks, parkettes, playgrounds, natural forested areas, trails, extreme sport systems, water infrastructure and cemetery operations. Professional development focuses on infrastructure maintenance and management, energy management, equipment safety, and related health and safety regulations and legislation.

Refrigeration and Ice: includes the maintenance and operation of facility air management systems such as the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration systems as well as the creation and maintenance of both artificial and natural recreational ice surfaces. Professional development focuses on regulatory operational obligations and industry best practice in the use of all related ice maintenance tools and equipment, infrastructure maintenance and management, energy management, equipment safety, and related health and safety regulations and legislation.

Aquatics: the regulatory maintenance and operation of all types of contained water related infrastructure such as swimming pools, splash pads and play fountains. Professional development focuses on infrastructure maintenance and management, energy management, equipment safety, and related health and safety regulations and legislation.

Staff and Management: includes legislative and regulatory awareness, leadership skills, project management, budgeting and financial management, asset management, human resources, strategic planning, events planning, and marketing and administration.