2012 NATIONAL GOLD MEDAL FINALISTS
The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association, is proud to announce the finalists of its 2012 National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. This year’s proud sponsor of the Gold Medal Award program is Musco Lighting LLC.
The Gold Medal Award honors communities throughout the United States that demonstrate excellence in long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development and agency recognition. Each agency is judged on its ability to address the needs of those it serves through the collective energies of citizens, staff, and elected officials.
This year’s finalists will compete for Grand Award honors, which will be announced live during NRPA’s Annual Congress and Exposition in Anaheim, California, on October 16, 2012.
2012 Gold Medal Finalists
Class I
(population 250,000 and over)
■ City of Henderson Parks and Recreation Department, Nevada
■ Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Riverdale, Maryland
■ Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation Department, Charlotte, North Carolina
■ Plano Parks & Recreation, Texas
Class II
(population 100,001-250,000)
■ City of Round Rock Parks and Recreation Department, Texas
■ Conejo Recreation and Park District, Thousand Oaks, California
■ Rockford Park District, Illinois
■ South Suburban Park and Recreation District, Centennial, Colorado
Class III
(population 50,001-100,000)
■ City of Kettering Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department, Ohio
■ James City County Parks and Recreation, Williamsburg, Virginia
■ Roswell Recreation, Parks, Historic and Cultural Affairs, Georgia
■ Waukegan Park District, Illinois
Class IV
(population 25,001-50,000)
■ St. Charles Park District, Illinois
■ Town of Castle Rock Parks and Recreation Department, Colorado
■ Town of Leesburg Parks and Recreation Department, Virginia
■ West Bend Parks, Recreation & Forestry, Wisconsin
Class V
(population less than 25,000)
■ City of Cullman Parks and Recreation, Alabama
■ City of Lafayette, Colorado
■ Durango Parks and Recreation Department, Colorado
■ Town of Erie Parks and Recreation Department, Colorado
Armed Forces
(representing all branches of the military)
■ Fort Knox, Kentucky
■ Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, California
■ Naval Base San Diego, California
■ Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois
2012 NRPA NATIONAL AWARD RECIPIENTS
The National and Network Awards are presented to deserving candidates in several specific categories. The recipients are chosen for excellence in a variety of topics including professional and voluntary service, programming, leadership, research, and public outreach. The award recipients will be honored at the Best of the Best Ceremony, during NRPA’s 2012 Congress and Exposition in Anaheim, California, October 17. Please join us in congratulating the 2012 recipients:
Armed Forces Recreation Achievement
■ Jeffery B. Sias, Naval Station Rota, Spain
Barb King Award for Environmental Stewardship
■ County of San Diego, Department of Parks and Recreation, California
Dorothy Mullen Arts and Humanities Awards
■Class I—BREC’s Magnolia Mound Plantation, East Baton Rouge, Louisiana
■Class III—Summer Arts In The Parks, Waukegan Park District, Illinois
■Class IV—Best Southwest Juneteenth Celebration, City of Cedar Hill, Texas
■Class V—Rutland Youth Theatre, Rutland Recreation & Parks Department, Vermont
Excellence in Inclusion Award—Agency
■ City of Boulder Parks and Recreation, Colorado
Excellence in Inclusion Award—Individual
■ Anna Wood, Sudbury Park and Recreation, Massachusetts
Excellence in Military Recreation Award
■ Fort Knox Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Community Recreation Division, Kentucky
Excellence in Teaching Award
■ Cheryl L. Stevens, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina
Excellence in Water Safety Award
■ Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickham MWR Aquatics Department, Hawaii
Kudos Award for Marketing Campaign
■ OC Parks, Orange County, California
Kudos Award for Marketing Piece
■ Five Rivers MetroParks, Dayton, Ohio
Kudos Award for Public Relations
■ City of Henderson Parks and Recreation Department, Nevada
National Health and Fitness Award
■ Woodland Discovery Summer Challenge at Shelby Farms Park, Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, Memphis, Tennessee
National Partnership Award
■ Parks After Dark (PAD) Summer Program, Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation, South Agency, California
National Voluntary Service Award
■ Maxine Lakin, Phoenix, Arizona
Park or Facility Design Award
■Class I—San Leandro Community Center, City of San Leandro, California
■Class II—Rosemont Bridge at Buffalo Bayou Park, City of Houston Parks and Recreation, Texas
Ralph C. Wilson Award
■ Bert Neal, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Theodore & Franklin Roosevelt Award for Excellence in Recreation and Park Research
■ William P. Stewart, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Recognition of Significant Efforts (R.O.S.E.)
■ Bill Campbell, Santa Ana, California
National Distinguished Professional Award
■ Teresa Grodsky, Evanston, Illinois
Robert W. Crawford Rising Professional Award
■ Shane Mize, Missouri City, Texas
2012 NRPA NETWORK AWARD RECIPIENTS
Distinguished Professionals
■ Teresa Grodsky, Leisure & Aging Network
■ Carol P. Moore, Southern Region Network
■ Bert Neal, Administrators Network
■ Anne Harper Panattoni, Armed Forces Recreation Network
Rising Professionals
■ Hilary Boen, Aquatics Network
■ Brooke Burk, Young Professionals Network
■ Nathaniel Jaramillo, Administrators Network
■ Kristy Lintz, Midwest Region Network
■ Shane Mize, Southwest Region Network
■ Elisabeth Weaver, Armed Forces Recreation Network
Outstanding Graduate Student
■ Anna Pechenik, University of Mississippi
Outstanding Student Club
■ Rho Phi Lambda, California Polytechnic State University, Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration, San Luis Obispo