Influential Woman · Parks & Recreation

Malea Ferrara

Recreation Supervisor, City of Calabasas

Calabasas, CA 91301

1Award received

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Bachelor's Degree in Recreation and Tourism Management Degree Master's Degree in Public Administration (graduated with distinction) Cert CPRP (Certified Parks and Recreation Professional) Member NRPA (National Recreation and Park Association) Member CPRS (California Parks and Recreation Society)

Her Story

About Malea

I became a mom in my 20s and spent those early years focused on raising my children. When life took an unexpected turn and I found myself on my own, I had to quickly figure out how to support my family. It was challenging without recent work experience, and that struggle ultimately pushed me to return to college.

While trying to enter the workforce, I kept running into barriers due to my limited experience, so I committed to earning my bachelor’s degree in Recreation and Tourism Management. That decision opened the door to my career in parks and recreation. During that time, I took an event planning course, and my professor—who worked for a city—later offered me a part-time position, which became my entry point into the field.

After graduating, I secured my first full-time role and continued building my experience. Eventually, I decided to further my education and earned my Master’s degree in Public Administration with distinction, all while working full-time and raising four children as a single mother.

I’ve now been in the parks and recreation field for about 10 years. I currently work for the City of Calabasas, where I’ve been full-time for the past four years, after previously working there part-time and gaining additional full-time experience with another city. Most recently, I earned my CPRP certification as a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional, a significant milestone in my career.

One of my proudest accomplishments has been helping refurbish and reopen the facility I now work at, including developing an entirely new operational model to successfully run it.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Malea

01What do you attribute your success to?

I would say my grandmother has been my biggest inspiration. My grandparents raised me, and she played a huge role in shaping who I am today. She was incredibly hardworking and took care of me and my brothers, and I’ve always looked up to her for that strength and dedication. A lot of what drives me comes from wanting to make her proud. She passed away about 10 years ago, and since then, I’ve felt even more motivated to push myself and do better. She strongly believed in the value of education and worked in that field, so she always encouraged me to keep learning and growing. I think that’s a big part of why I was so determined when I went back to school—I wanted to honor what she instilled in me. Earning my master’s degree was especially meaningful because it was something she always hoped I would accomplish, and being able to achieve that felt like a way of honoring her legacy.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

I would say work hard and keep an open mind. Also, make sure to have fun—because this field truly is fun. We get the opportunity to create programs and experiences that bring real joy to people. Whether it’s seeing families enjoying an event we’ve organized, the smiles on participants’ faces, or watching a child learn something new in a class, those moments are what make this work so meaningful. It’s also incredibly rewarding to see people engaging in workouts or participating in open play sports, and to watch individuals consistently choosing to live active, healthy lifestyles at our facility day after day. Those everyday moments are just as impactful. It’s a very rewarding field to be in. I genuinely love what I do—I get to come to work, collaborate with great people, and be part of creating positive experiences in the community. That said, it does take hard work and comes with its challenges, but the impact you make makes it all worth it.

03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

Finding trends in programming and getting people to participate is a challenge. In parks and recreation, we're a huge contributing factor to people's happiness, so we're always looking at ways we can provide those things for our community. As for opportunities, there are management opportunities and citywide leadership opportunities for growth and advancement in the field.

04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

Loyalty, resilience, discipline, and hard work are very important to me. I'm a hard worker. I also value ongoing growth and am always willing to learn and grow.

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