Ashburn, Va. (Aug. 21, 2017) — The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is proud to announce the winners of its 2017 National Awards. NRPA National Awards are presented to individuals and agencies to honor their efforts — both professional and personal — in the field of parks and recreation. Recipients are chosen for excellence in a variety of topics, including professional and voluntary service, programming, leadership, research and public outreach. The Robert W. Crawford Hall of Fame recognizes individual pioneers and leaders who have made extraordinary and lasting contributions to the advancement of parks and recreation in the United States, as well as to the mission of NRPA.
The 2017 award winners include:
Robert M. Artz Advocacy Award
Cora Masters Barry, Washington, DC
Robert W. Crawford Young Professional Award
Dr. Joshua T. Medeiros, Canton, Connecticut
RWJF-NRPA Award for Health Equity
Patricia Solano, Riverside, California
National Distinguished Professional Award
Phillip S. Rea, Raleigh, North Carolina
Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt Award for Excellence in Recreation and Park Research Award
Mark E. Havitz, Waterloo, Ontario
Excellence in Inclusion Award
Madison School & Community Recreation, Madison, Wisconsin
Excellence in Innovative Programming Award
Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Facility or Park Design Award
Vigo County Parks and Recreation Department, Terre Haute, Indiana
Barb King Environmental Stewardship Award
Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Kudos Marketing Award
Denver Parks and Recreation, Denver, Colorado
National Partnership Award
Durham Parks and Recreation, Durham, North Carolina
Robert W. Crawford Recreation and Park Hall of Fame Award
Clifton French, former executive director, Minnesota Recreation & Park Association
The award winners will be recognized at the 2017 NRPA Annual Conference during the Best of the Best ceremony on Sept. 27.
To learn more about the Robert W. Crawford Hall of Fame, visit www.nrpa.org/halloffame.
To learn more about NRPA, visit www.nrpa.org.
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About The National Recreation and Park Association
The National Recreation and Park Association is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all Americans have access to parks and recreation for health, conservation and social equity. Through its network of 60,000 recreation and park professionals and advocates, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy and active lifestyles, conservation initiatives and equitable access to parks and public space. For more information, visit www.nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit www.parksandrecreation.org.