The National Recreation and Park Association’s awards program consists of the National Gold Medal Award (presented by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration in partnership with NRPA), and the NRPA Awards which include the Innovation Awards, Spotlight Awards, Scholarships and Fellowships, and the Robert W. Crawford Hall of Fame.
NRPA Awards recipients are selected by the NRPA Awards and Scholarship Committee, except for the NRPA Best in Innovation Award where the winner is determined by public vote. Each award has specific eligibility criteria. All applicants must be current NRPA members.
The deadline to apply for all 2022 NRPA Awards, Scholarships and Fellowships was March 25.
2021 NRPA Award Winners
Spotlight Awards
Robert M. Artz Advocacy Award Bruce Rinker, Cleveland Metroparks board of park commissioners, Cleveland Metroparks, Cleveland, Ohio
Innovation in Social Equity Award Re-Connecting Cleveland: Pathways to Opportunity TIGER Grant Project, Cleveland Metroparks, Cleveland, Ohio
Innovation in Park Design Award Westwood Hills Nature Center Interpretive Center Building Project, City of St. Louis Park, Operations and Recreation, St. Louis Park, Minnesota
RWJF-NRPA Award for Health Equity Carol Zernial, senior vice president social responsibility and foundation executive director, WellMed Medical Management Inc.; San Antonio, Texas
Daryl Quarles, manager, Senior Programs, Dallas Park and Recreation Department; Dallas, Texas
RWJF-NRPA Award for Health Equity Tina Fleming, community services director, and Lindsay Jorstad, outreach manager, Gwinnett County Government; Lawrenceville, Georgia
Young Professional Fellowship Takeyra M. Collins, Virginia Wesleyan University Jill Ellison, Seattle Parks and Recreation Katy Keller, Indian Trail Parks and Recreation Hillary Roemersberger, Apex Park and Recreation District
Diversity Scholarship Ashley Jones, Norfolk Recreation, Parks and Open Space Nelson Musselman, City of Lewisville
Student Scholarship Heidi Weiler, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Jordan Sylvester, Texas Southern University