Ryan Hegreness, CPRE

Manager | Berry, Dunn, McNeil & Parker, LLC

ryan.hegreness@berrydunn.com

Ryan, a Manager in the firm's Parks, Recreation, Libraries practice, has over two decades of park, recreation, and local government experience across five states. His experience includes leadership roles in a variety of settings, including a small New England village, one of the fifty largest cities in America, growing suburban communities, and Colorado’s largest park and recreation district. His teams have been nationally recognized for their innovation, creative programming, industry-leading marketing, and exceptional cultural events.

As a second-generation parks and recreation professional, Ryan is passionate about the vital role parks play in shaping individuals and communities. With his childhood home located inside a 65-acre community park, he grew up seeing communities connect and lives change through the power of parks and recreation.

D 720.219.1297

experience education & certifications industries services presentations & publications memberships community service events insights

Experience highlights

Ryan is known as an innovator, collaborator, and educator. He has presented hundreds of sessions at conferences across North America, serves on the NRPA Revenue Development and Management School Board of Regents, and previously co-managed the Brand+Aid Marketing and Social Media conference. Ryan enjoys connecting with colleagues across the country, supporting creativity, and fostering strong business practices.

Ryan's clients benefit from his expertise in:

Master planning
Strategic planning
Marketing strategy
Local government innovation
Community and stakeholder engagement
Cultural affairs
Cost recovery
Training and coaching
Business operations
Organization assessments

Ryan has delivered hundreds of education sessions, keynote addresses, and workshops on the topics of park and recreation marketing, branding, government innovation, revenue generation, artificial intelligence, and more.

Presentations and publications

Artificial Intelligence, MRPA On the Air Podcast, 2025
How Technology and AI is Shaping Public Spaces and Recreation Programs, Cafecito with Hispanic Professionals in Parks and Recreation Podcast, 2025
Inspiring Innovation in Your Organization, NRPA Parks & Recreation Magazine, 2023
Parents Behaving Badly? The Relationship between the Sportsmanship Behaviors of Adults and Athletes in Youth Basketball Game, Journal of Sport Behavior, 2009
Maximizing the Economic Potential of Youth Sport Tournaments, The Journal of Youth Sport, 2007

Trainings

Marketing Plans, NRPA Revenue Development and Management School, 2019−present
Positioning and Marketing Your Organization and Services, NRPA Revenue Development and Management School, 2019−present
Revenue Generation and Cost Reduction with AI, NRPA Revenue Development and Management School, 2024−present
Revenue Generation: Parks & Facilities, NRPA Revenue Development and Management School, 2019−present
Connected Communities: Designing the Future Together, MPRA/KRPA Executive Forum, 2025
Tackle Them If You Have To: Rethinking Traditional Approaches to Community Engagement, National Recreation and Park Association, 2025
Thriving as an Introvert in an Extroverted Industry, National Recreation and Park Association, 2025
AI in Parks and Recreation: Productivity and Pitfalls, OPRA Conference & Trade Show, 2025
AI Workshop, Nebraska Recreation and Park Association, 2024
Artificial Intelligence: Productivity and Pitfalls, Colorado Parks and Recreation Association and National Recreation and Park Association, 2024
Parks and Recreation in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, Colorado Parks and Recreation Association and National Recreation and Park Association, 2024