James City County Parks & Rec wins gold medal

Congratulations to our James City County Parks and Recreation Department for winning the 2012 National Recreation and Park Association’s Gold Medal Award . The award recognizes the County as the best managed park & recreation system in the nation in the population category of 50,000-100,000

The Gold Medal Award honors communities throughout the United States that demonstrate excellence in  long-range planning, resource management and agency recognition. The County was judged on its ability to address the needs of those it serves through the collective energies of citizens, staff and elected officials.

The James City County Parks and Rec Department was chosen based on its ability to effectively identify and address the needs of those it serves, and then its ability to implement, enhance, and improve its parks, programs, and facilities through efficient financial and volunteer resource management including the collective energies of volunteers, staff, and elected officials. The other finalists for 2012 were

City of Kettering (OH) Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department , Roswell (GA) Recreation, Parks, Historic and Cultural Affairs and Waukegan (IL) Park District .

Winners were announced live during NRPA’s Annual Congress & Exposition in Anaheim California October 18, 2012

The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration is a non-profit 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.
The National Recreation and Park Association is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing park, recreation and conservation efforts that enhance quality of life for all people. Through its’ network of some 20,000 professionals and citizens, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy lifestyles, recreation initiatives, and conservation of natural and cultural resources. 
Headquartered in Ashburn, VA, NRPA works closely with local, state, and national recreation and park agencies, citizen groups, and corporations to carry out its objectives. Priorities include advocating favorable legislation and public policy; increasing public awareness of the importance of parks and recreation; providing continuing education, professional certification and university accreditation; and conducting research and technical assistance. For more information, visit www.nrpa.org.