Grand Plaque Recipients Announced in the 2023 National Gold Medal Awards in Parks and Recreation

Ashburn, VA (October 13, 2023)

The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), is pleased to announce the 2023 Grand Plaque recipients in the National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. Musco Lighting, LLC is proud to continue as the award sponsor for more than 20 years.

Founded in 1965, the Gold Medal Awards program honors communities in the United States that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development and agency communications. Nominations are separated into six classes, with five classes based on population and one class for armed forces.

The following agencies received the Grand Plaque award October 11, in Dallas, Texas, at the 2023 NRPA Annual Conference:

  • Class I (population 400,001 & over): Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation, Virginia Beach, Virginia
  • Class II (population 150-001 – 400,000): City of Plano Parks and Recreation Department, Plano, Texas
  • Class III (population 75,001 – 150,000): Champaign Park District, Champaign, Illinois
  • Class IV (population 30,001 – 75,000): Hoffman Estates Park District, Hoffman Estates, Illinois
  • Class V (population under 30,000): Cullman Parks, Recreation, and Sports Tourism, Cullman, Alabama
  • Armed Forces Recreation: Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Kanagawa, Japan
  • State Parks: Texas State Parks, Austin, Texas

Agencies are judged on their ability to address the needs of those they serve through the collective energies of community members, staff members and elected officials. Each of these recipients received the Finalist Plaque in their category on Monday, October 9th. For the Grand Plaque round of judging, each Finalist submitted a five-minute video that supports their application and the judges reviewed progress on the agency’s strategic plan.

A panel of five park and recreation professionals judged all application materials. Judges are chosen for their considerable experience and knowledge in parks and recreation on both the local and national levels.

For more information on the National Gold Medal Award Program, visit www.aapra.org.

###

The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration is a nonprofit organization founded to advance knowledge related to the administration of recreation and parks; to encourage scholarly efforts by both practitioners and educators that would enhance the practice of park and recreation administration; to promote broader public understanding of the importance of parks and recreation to the public good; and, to conduct research, publish scholarly papers and sponsor seminars related to the advancement of park and recreation administration. For more information, visit www.aapra.org.

About the National Recreation and Park Association

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is the leading not-for-profit organization dedicated to building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation. With more than 60,000 members, NRPA advances this mission by investing in and championing the work of park and recreation professionals and advocates — the catalysts for positive change in service of equity, climate-readiness, and overall health and well-being. For more information, visit nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit parksandrecreation.org.

Musco Lighting, LLC is a company that has specialized in lighting systems for sports and large areas for more than 30 years. Musco has pioneered dramatic improvements in energy efficiency and affordable ways to control wasted spill light and glare. Permanent and temporary lighting services range from neighborhood fields to NASCAR super speedways. For more information, visit www.musco.com.