Cox VP of TN Parks Assoc
Lauren Cox, Farragut Special Events & Program coordinator, has been elected vice president of Tennessee Recreation Parks Association board of directors.
Elected in October, Cox will take office Nov. 28. “I’m very excited to be elected vice president of TRPA,” said said. “I’m very passionate about recreation.”
TRPA advocates for parks and recreation funding at federal, state and local levels. It also provides continuing education for parks and recreation staff across the state. The non-profit professional society has more than 1,400 members.
“... It’s getting to make a difference in recreation because that’s what I love. That’s what I want to do the rest of my life,” Cox said. “I feel like being the vice president, our small community, the Town of Farragut, will have a larger voice in state recreation. I get to help make decisions on state recreation. I get to help lead recreators.
“If there are new trends in recreation, I’ll get that information first hand,” she added.
Looking back, “I knew when I graduated high school that I loved to play, and so I remember my mom telling me, ‘Why don’t you go to school for recreation.’” Cox said. “That’s really one of the only things I really loved.
“I was really involved in sports growing up,” Cox, a Town employee for six years, added. “I love to go hiking and I love to spend time in parks, and now that I’m a mom, we hit up all the parks.”
She has been a member of TRPA for 11 years. Cox has served on several TRPA committees and also as East District chairwoman.
She became familiar with TRPA while attending Middle Tennessee State University, where she earned her degree in recreation.
“As a student at MTSU, I was involved in volunteering with TRPA when it hosted events at the university,” Cox said. “That’s really when I first got involved with it, and then when I got my first job in the City of Pigeon Forge, I became a member of TRPA.
“Being involved in a state organization certainly helps the Town of Farragut because our amazing parks are recognized. We’ve won some four-star awards for our facilities from TRPA.
“Then also, we can be involved in what others are doing around the state,” she said.
For instance, the City of Knoxville does the Let’s Move event, and we always participate with the city every year, Cox added.
“The City of Knoxville and Knox County are actually hosting the TRPA Conference in 2018 and we are going to help them with that conference since we are so close,” she said.
