December 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 66

in

standards-and accreditation provides
that benchmark, " he says.
Although establishing a parks and recreation agency accreditation program had
been under discussion at various times
since the early 1980s, serious efforts were
finally kicked off in 1989 through the initiative of the parks director of the tiny city of
St. James, Missouri (population 3,704). According to Don Cochran, past chair of the
CAPRA, St. James had a visionary parks
director in Ford Hughes, who wanted to
be able to compare the services offered in
St. James to other agencies.

" He was a director in a small town and
he said he didn't have the opportunities and
resources to determine how they were doing. He wanted to have a gauge on how they
were delivering services. Agencies should
have standards to evaluate themselves, "
Cochran says of Hughes' vision. " No matter
how small or large, you needed to have a
foundation to test yourself against. "
Fortunately, Hughes was able to obtain funds from the American Academy
for Park and Recreation Administration
(AAPRA) and the James Foundation.
These funds, along with help from the

Ac c redited Ag en c ies
15+ years
City of Asheville Parks,
Recreation & Public Facilities
Department, NC
City of Plano Parks and
Recreation, TX
City of Roseville Parks and
Recreation Department, MN
City of Scottsdale Parks and
Recreation Department, AZ
Monmouth County Park
System, NJ
Parish of East Baton Rouge
-Recreation and Park
Commission, LA
Miami-Dade County Parks and
Recreation Department, FL
City of Germantown Parks and
Recreation, TN
City of Kettering Parks,
Recreation and Cultural Arts
Department, OH
10-14 years
Broward County Parks and
Recreation Division, FL
Town of Gates Recreation and
Parks Department, NY
City of Alpharetta Recreation
and Parks Department, GA
City of Kansas City Parks and
Recreation Department, MO
City of Largo Recreation, Parks
and Arts Department, FL
City of Virginia Beach
Department of Parks and
Recreation, VA

Johnson County Park and
Recreation District, KS
City of Delray Beach Parks and
Recreation Department, FL
City of Gainesville Parks and
Recreation, GA
City of Salisbury Parks and
Recreation Department, NC
Martin County Parks and
Recreation Dept., FL
City of Bloomington Parks and
Recreation Department, IN
City of Coral Gables Parks and
Recreation Department, FL
City of Henderson Parks and
Recreation Department, NV
Lee County Parks and
Recreation, FL
5-9 years
City of Renton Parks and
Recreation Division, WA
City of Roswell Recreation and
Parks Department, GA
Howard County Department of
Recreation and Parks, MD
City of Indianapolis
Department of Parks and
Recreation, IN
City of Lee's Summit Parks and
Recreation, MO
City of Miami Beach Parks and
Recreation Department, FL
 City of Saint Paul Department
of Parks and Recreation, MN

60	 Parks & Recreation   D E C E M B E R

2 0 1 1    w w w . N R P A . O R G

Fort Leavenworth MWR
Community Recreation
Division, KS
Town of Cary Parks, Recreation,
and Cultural Resources, NC
Westchester County
Department of Parks,
Recreation, and
Conservation, NY
Canton Township Leisure
Services Department, MI
City of Alexandria Recreation,
Parks and Cultural Activities,
VA
City of Carrollton Parks,
Recreation and Cultural Arts
Department, GA
City of Fort Wayne Parks and
Recreation Department, IN
City of Alexandria Recreation,
Parks and Cultural Activities,
VA
City of Carrollton Parks,
Recreation and Cultural Arts
Department, GA
City of Miamisburg Parks and
Recreation Department, OH
Fort Carson Directorate of
Family, Morale, Welfare &
Recreation, CO
Maryland-National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, MD
Ramsey County Parks and
Recreation Department, MN
Town of Hartford Parks and
Recreation Department, VT

City of Bellevue Department
of Parks & Community
Services, WA
City of Cincinnati Recreation
Commission, OH
City of Tamarac Parks and
Recreation Department, FL
City of Westerville Parks and
Recreation Department, OH
Collier County Parks and
Recreation Department, FL
Arlington County Department
of Parks, Recreation, and
Cultural Resources, VA
City of Boynton Beach
Recreation and Parks
Department, FL
City of Greensboro Parks and
Recreation, NC
City of Grove City Parks and
Recreation Department, OH
City of Little Rock Parks and
Recreation Department, AR
City of Stockton Department of
Parks and Recreation, CA
Richland County Recreation
Commission, SC
Town of Herndon Parks and
Recreation Department, VA 
1-4 years
City of Austin Parks and
Recreation Department, TX
City of College Station Parks
and Recreation, TX
City of Palm Bay Parks and
Recreation Department, FL
December 2011 - Parks & Recreation

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