When Marissa Gentry started her position as Valpo Parks’ Digital Marketing Specialist in April 2019, she approached her responsibilities in a unique way. Keen on sharing all the amenities and distinct places Valpo Parks has to offer to Valparaiso residents, Gentry began putting herself in residents’ shoes, which has influenced how she’s promoted everything from parks to events.
“I always like to think, ‘If I was a parent, would I and my family want to participate in this?’” Gentry said. “It’s nice to think if this event or this park or a new trail is something you would want to be a part of if you were part of this community. That’s how I approach everything I do.”
A graduate from Purdue University Calumet (now Purdue University Northwest), Gentry received her bachelor’s degree in graphic design. Before coming to Valpo Parks in 2019, she worked with a branding company where she broadened her knowledge of graphic design. When she began her career with Luke Family of Brands in Hobart, she brought that knowledge to her work promoting community institutions and events like the County Line Orchard.
“That was a really great experience promoting their events and the Orchard,” Gentry said. "At the time, though, I began looking for something closer to home in Valpo, which is perfect because the Valpo Parks office is just right down the road.”
As Valpo Parks’ Digital Marketing Specialist, Gentry looks forward to days that are never like the one before. A jack-of-all-trades, she does graphic design, social media, web management, and photography.
“I dabble in a little bit of everything. That’s one reason why I really love this position; it gives me a variety of things to do on a day-to-day basis,” Gentry said. “My day-to-day changes depending on what we are promoting that week or that month. This past month, for example, has been heavy on our activity guide, where we compile all of our events and programs into one big booklet so that everyone knows what’s coming this year.”
While Gentry works hard to promote what makes Valpo special, having the opportunity to share what she and her family love is a major part of her mission.
“Even before working for Valpo Parks, my husband and I would love to bring our dog, Ash, to Rogers-Lakewood Park and all of these places that sometimes people take for granted,” Gentry said. “If you just take a walk around Rogers-Lakewood Park, you don’t always know everything it has to offer. It’s not always on the surface, so then it helps me coming from the outside to know how I should promote things and help people who may be knew to the community realize that Rogers-Lakewood Park and other parks are nice and exciting places to visit.”
For the nearly two years Gentry has been with Valpo Parks, she has appreciated the close work environment the department promotes, remembering a special moment at the Lit'l Kernel Puff Race not long after she started.
“I love how we have fun with whatever we are doing,” Gentry said. “My favorite memory of an event I have worked was at the Lit'l Kernel Puff Race. I was still fairly new to the parks department, but it was there that I saw how well the team comes together to make things happen. All the kids smiling as they ran down the street make the weeks of planning so worth it. I am excited to get back to those events where you can truly see families making memories, which is what the parks are all about.”
Gentry and her husband love spending time outdoors with their dog and have most recently enjoyed ValPAWraiso Dog Park, the city’s new dog park on Campbell Street, along with Central Park Plaza where they attend outdoor concerts in a normal time.
“Central Park Plaza is really a given,” Gentry said. “We ate outside in the plaza a lot this past summer due to COVID-19, which was a really nice, relaxing option. We just can’t wait for those outdoor concerts to come back to the plaza.”
On the more adventurous side, Gentry and her husband spend time at Creekside Trails. Her husband mountain bikes on the ever-expanding and exciting trails while Gentry walks their dog and enjoys the beautiful scenery Creekside has to offer.
“It’s a really nice thing that we can do together, but at the same time, do our own favorite things,” Gentry said. “We love going there as often as we can, and it’s something that I try to promote often as well. Sometimes new places like Creekside can be intimidating for people who have never been there, so you want to promote a welcoming atmosphere and exciting things that anyone can do.”
Gentry grew up in Highland and came from a family of six. She has always been close to her family and is an aunt to five incredible kids.
“One was born just a few months ago, so we have loved all the baby snuggles,” Gentry said.
She and her husband are also avid football fans and enjoy watching games together on Sundays and cheering on their favorite team, the Green Bay Packers.
For more information about Valpo Parks, visit their website at https://www.valpoparks.org/.
