2024 Finalists Announced for the National Gold Medal Awards in Parks and Recreation Management

The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2024 National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. Musco Lighting, LLC continues its 20+ years as the proud sponsor of the National Gold Medal Awards program.

Founded in 1965, the Gold Medal Awards program honors communities in the United States that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development and agency recognition. Applications are separated into seven classes, with five classes based on population, one class for armed forces recreation and one class, awarded on odd numbered years, for state park systems.

Agencies are judged on their ability to address the needs of those they serve through the collective energies of community members, staff and elected officials. Four finalists in each class are chosen to compete for grand honors each year.

In announcing the 2024 National Gold Medal Finalists, AAPRA Executive Director Jane H. Adams shared, “Each agency is commended for submitting a 2024 application for the prestigious National Gold Medal Award. The Academy congratulates the 20 local park and recreation agencies and the four-armed forces installations on receiving the Finalist award. We look forward to presenting these awards at the Gold Medal Gala Reception in Atlanta, Georgia, as part of the National Recreation and Park Association’s Annual Conference.”

The 2024 Gold Medal finalists are:

Class I (population 400,001 and over)

  • Gwinnett County Parks & Recreation, Lawrenceville, GA
  • Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation, Tampa, FL
  • Johnson County Park & Recreation District, Shawnee Mission, KS
  • Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, Minneapolis, MN

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

  • Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation, Arlington, VA
  • Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Division of Parks and Recreation, Lexington, KY
  • Roseville Parks, Recreation & Libraries Department, Roseville, CA
  • South Suburban Park and Recreation District, Littleton, CO

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

  • City of New Braunfels Parks and Recreation, New Braunfels, TX
  • City of North Port Parks & Recreation Department, North Port, FL
  • Plainfield Park District, Plainfield, IL
  • Waukegan Park District, Waukegan, IL

Class IV (population 30,001 – 75,000)

  • Bristol Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services, Bristol, CT
  • Douglasville Parks and Recreation, Douglasville, GA
  • Glenview Park District, Glenview, IL
  • Park District of Oak Park, Oak Park, IL

Class V (population less than 30,000)

  • City of Macedonia Parks & Recreation, Macedonia, OH
  • Dickinson Parks and Recreation District, Dickinson, ND
  • Oak Brook Park District, Oak Brook, IL
  • Valley City Parks and Recreation District, Valley City, ND

Armed Forces Recreation (Worldwide)

  • Joint Base Charleston, United States Air Force, Charleston, SC
  • Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Milton, FL
  • Misawa Air Base, Misawa, Japan
  • U.S. Army Garrison Fort Knox, Fort Knox, KY

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 both locally and nationally.

This year’s Finalists awardees will compete for Grand Plaque Award honor, and the Grand Plaque recipients will be announced at the 2024 NRPA Annual Conference in Atlanta.

For information on the National Gold Medal Awards, visit AAPRA or NRPA.