December 2013 - Parks & Recreation - 52

CONGRESS WRAP-UP

Award Goes to...

And the

O

ne of the big goals of Congress is to recognize members and agencies in the
field of parks and recreation that
have made notable strides to advance
the profession. Each year, NRPA
highlights the accomplishments and
achievements of these individuals
and groups through a variety of ceremonies and recognition events. For
more information on the Gold Medal
Award finalists, categories for the National Award winners, the new additions to the Hall of Fame, the list of
new agencies and university programs
accredited or reaccredited through
CAPRA and COAPRT, and the Pugsley Award winners, visit www.parksandrecreation.org/2013/December/
And-the-Award-Goes-To.
Gold Medal Awards
Highly prized and equally respected,
the Gold Medal Award for Excellence
in Park and Recreation Management
is the highest national award that a
park and recreation department can
receive. Presented by the American
Academy for Park and Recreation
Administration (AAPRA) in partnership with NRPA, and proudly sponsored by Musco Lighting, the Gold
Medal Award honors communities
throughout the United States that
demonstrate excellence in long-range
planning, resource management and
agency recognition. The Gold Medal
Award Program includes seven classes: five classes based upon population, one class for armed forces recreation and one class for state park
systems in odd numbered years.

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Parks & Recreation

The 2013 Gold Medal Grand
Plaque recipients are:
* Class I (population 250,000 and
over): City of Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine, California
* Class II (population 100,001-
250,000): Round Rock Parks and
Recreation Department, Texas

Chair-Elect Detrick Stanford, CPRP,
congratulates and recognizes award
winners, newly accredited agencies
and academic programs, scholarship
and fellowship winners, new Hall of
Fame honorees, and new CPRP- and
CPRE-certified individuals.
* Class III (population 50,001-
100,000) Waukegan Park District, Illinois
* Class IV (population 25,001-
50,000): City of Westerville Parks
and Recreation Department, Ohio
* Class V (population less than
25,000): Town of Erie Parks and
Recreation Department, Colorado
* State Park System Class: Florida

| D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3 | W W W. N R PA . O R G

Park Service, Florida Department
of Environmental Protection
* Armed Forces Recreation Class:
Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, Fort
Knox, Kentucky
National Awards
At the Best of the Best Ceremony
held the evening of Wednesday, October 9, NRPA presented a number
of awards and recognized several
agencies and individuals for their
professional development. National
Awards were presented to Dundee
L. Jones; Thomas G. Venniro; the
Northwest Special Recreation Association, Rolling Meadows, Illinois;
the City of San Antonio Parks and
Recreation, Texas; Smale Riverfront
Park, Cincinnati, Ohio; the McHenry County Conservation District,
Woodstock, Illinois; and the Recreation and Park Commission for the
Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for excellence in a variety of
areas including professional and voluntary service, programming, leadership, research and public outreach.
Scholarships and Fellowships
Also at the Best of the Best Ceremony, scholarships and fellowships
were awarded to seven candidates
who have demonstrated significant
contributions to the field of parks
and recreation. Marcus Coates and
Edward Matthews won the Diversity Scholarship, Sarah Walters
and Antonio Washington won the
Student Scholarship, and Brooke
Burk, Mariana Espinoza, Jennifer
December 2013 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2013 - Parks & Recreation
