The 2019 Gold Medal Awards Finalists

June 5, 2019, Department, by Tom Crosley

2019 June NRPA Update Gold Medal Awards 410

The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with NRPA, is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2019 National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. Musco Lighting LLC has been a proud sponsor of the Gold Medal Awards program for more than 10 years. 

Since 1965, the Gold Medal Awards program has served as a testament to the hard work and dedication of agencies that strive to meet the needs of diverse communities. The Gold Medal is a comprehensive award that looks at the many challenges agencies face and at how they are leveraging resources to meet those challenges. The Gold Medal Award Program includes seven classes: five classes based on population, one class for armed forces recreation and one class for state park systems in odd-numbered years.

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

Excitement is building as the Gold Medal Finalists prepare for the Grand Award announcement during the September 24 Opening General Session at the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland.

Please join us in congratulating the 2019 Gold Medal Finalists: 

Class I
(population 400,001 and over)

  • Chicago Park District – Chicago, Illinois
  • East Baton Rouge Recreation & Park Commission (BREC) - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • Fairfax County Park Authority - Fairfax, Virginia
  • Mesa Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities – Mesa, Arizona

Class II
(population 150,001 – 400,000)

  • City of Norfolk Recreation, Parks & Open Space – Norfolk, Virginia
  • City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Department – Tampa, Florida
  • Greensboro Parks and Recreation – Greensboro, North Carolina
  • Metroparks Tacoma – Tacoma, Washington

Class III
(population 75,001 – 150,000)

  • City of Greeley (CO) Culture, Parks and Recreation – Greeley, Colorado
  • City of Thornton (CO) Community Services – Thornton, Colorado
  • The Woodlands Township (Woodlands, Texas)
  • Waukegan (IL) Park District – Waukegan, Illinois

Class IV
(population 30,001 – 75,000)

  • City of Westerville – Westerville, Ohio
  • Coppell Parks and Recreation – Coppell, Texas
  • Glenview Park District, Glenview, Illinois
  • Lombard Park District – Lombard, Illinois

Class V
(population less than 30,000)

  • East Goshen Township Parks and Recreation – West Chester, Pennsylvania
  • Glencoe Park District – Glencoe, Illinois
  • Rolling Meadows Park District – Rolling Meadows, Illinois
  • Vernon Hills Park District – Vernon Hills, Illinois

State Parks

  • DEP/Florida State Parks
  • Maryland Park Service
  • TDEC – Tennessee State Parks
  • Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission

Armed Forces Recreation

  • Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler – Okinawa, Japan
  • Naval Air Station Whiting Field – Milton, Florida
  • United States Army Garrison Bavaria – Grafenwoehr, Germany
  • USAG Rheinland-Pfalz – Kaiserslautern, Germany