Meet Jaclyn Davis, Field Consultant

My name is Jaclyn Davis, and I’m a Field Consultant with the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association (SPRA). I live and work in the town of Kyle, Saskatchewan. I grew up on a farm north of Kyle, and participated in all sorts of community sports and events growing up.  

I received my diploma in Recreation and Leisure Management from SIAST (now Saskatchewan Polytechnic) in 2002, and began my recreation career as the Director of Recreation and Community Development with the Town of Wadena in 2003.  My husband and I moved back home to Kyle in 2007, 6 weeks after our son was born, so that we could be closer to our families.  Following my maternity leave in 2008, I began working as the Recreation Director for the Kyle & District Recreation Board. I began my position as a Field Consultant with SPRA in July 2013, and celebrated 5 years of service in 2018. 
 
The boundaries I travel within as a Field Consultant are those of the South West District for Culture, Recreation and Sport. This District follows along the South Saskatchewan River to the Alberta Border, down to the United States Border, and then up near the communities of Coronach, Bengough, Ogema, Rouleau, Pense, Bethune and Craik where it turns west, going back to the South Saskatchewan River.
 
When I visit a community, I love to hear about all of the great things going on.  People are always happy to talk about their community programs and special events, seasonal sports and facilities, and any new ideas that could potentially take place. We also talk about the challenges they’re facing. The most discussed issues usually involve funding for aging facilities, funding to help develop new programs, and the decline in volunteering. 
 
When an issue arises and a community is looking for assistance, there are a few steps that I like to walk through:
 
1.       Are there any experiences that I have experienced (professionally and/or personally) that would be useful? 
2.       I reach out to my fellow Field Consultants with a request for assistance. 
3.       I reach out to other Recreation Professionals or Community Volunteers that may have experience or resources to share. 
 
Once I’ve gone through these steps, I share whatever information and resources that I can, and follow up with communities within a few weeks or months to see how things have been going. The time I take to follow up depends on the type of request that has been made.
 
Field Consultants are here to support people and be a resource they can count on, whether they’re Recreation Directors, Municipal Administrators, Mayors, Councilors, or one of the many volunteers working to improve the quality of life in their community. We are committed to enhancing capacity within the recreation sector, building relationships between organizations, individuals and communities, and raising awareness and understanding of recreation and its value at the community level.
 
If your community is located in the South West District and would like to know how I can help, send me an email or call (306) 375-7972.