NRPA Recognizes Excellence in Parks and Recreation With Innovation & Spotlight Awards

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) announced the recipients of this year’s NRPA Innovation Awards, Spotlight Awards, and Scholarships and Fellowships. The awards will be presented during the 2025 NRPA Annual Conference in September when NRPA will announce the winner of its Best in Innovation Award, which recognizes the best of the best in park and recreation innovation.  

NRPA Innovation Awards recognize park and recreation agencies nationwide that have improved and strengthened their communities through innovative practices in park design, health and well-being, environmental resilience and equity. The recipients of this year’s awards are as follows:   

  • Innovation in Health and Well-being Award: Care Camp, Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation, Alhambra, California
  • Innovation in Equity Award: Athene North Shore Recreation Area, Polk County Conservation, Granger, Iowa
  • Innovation in Environmental Resilience Award: Blackland Prairie Restoration & Education, Play Frisco, Frisco, Texas
  • Innovation in Park Design Award: Taylor Farm Park, Henrico County Recreation & Parks, Henrico, Virginia

NRPA Spotlight Awards are presented to individuals to honor their efforts — both professional and personal — in the field of parks and recreation. The following individuals are recognized with NRPA Spotlight Awards:  

  • National Distinguished Professional Award: Timothy Herd, CPRE, Chief Executive Officer, Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society, State College, Pennsylvania
  • Dirk Richwine Professional Mentoring Award: Karen O'Donnell, CPRE, Director of Parks & Recreation, City of Wheat Ridge, Colorado
  • Robert W. Crawford Young Professional Award: Gabrielle Vera, CPRP, Director of Parks & Recreation, Lake Havasu City, Arizona
  • Robert M. Artz Advocate Award: Adrian Dell Roberts, Community Advocate, Adrian Dell and Carmen Roberts Foundation, Riverside, California

NRPA Scholarships and Fellowships provide recipients with the opportunity to attend and explore the operation of the field at the NRPA Annual Conference. Congratulations to our awardees in the following categories:  

Young Professional Fellowships:

  • Samantha Grainger, CPRP, Indian Trail (North Carolina) Parks and Recreation
  • Megan Keul, CPRP, Kannapolis (North Carolina) Parks & Recreation
  • Katie MacCammon, CPRP, Fairfax City (Virginia) Parks and Recreation
  • Sydney Paredes, CPRP, Schertz (Texas) Parks & Recreation

Diversity Scholarships:

  • Jose Rodriguez, AFO, CPSI, Mount Vernon (Washington) Parks & Recreation
  • Tina Royer, CPRP, Mesa (Arizona) Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities

Student Scholarships:

  • Olalekan Tunde-Ajayi, Clemson University (South Carolina)
  • Jacob Vasquez, Texas A&M University (Texas)

“We’re so excited to celebrate our incredible awardees who are shaping the future of parks and recreation with passion and purpose,” said Kristine Stratton, NRPA president and CEO. “Their innovative, community-driven efforts embody the values we champion at NRPA. We’re proud to celebrate these impactful leaders and look forward to recognizing them in Orlando at the 2025 NRPA Annual Conference.”

“From the coasts of California to communities across the country, Parks and Recreation professionals are creating meaningful change daily,” said Lydie Gutfeld, chair of NRPA’s national awards and scholarship committee and director of community services for Placentia, California.This year, we reviewed over 225 applications highlighting innovative efforts in design, programming, and services that are helping communities thrive. The outstanding efforts of students and professionals across the nation bring a deep sense of pride and optimism—it's clear the future of our profession is bright. It’s an honor to celebrate these trailblazers who continue to elevate the impact of Parks and Recreation.”

To learn more about NRPA Innovation Awards, click here.

To learn more about NRPA Spotlight Awards, click here.

To learn more about NRPA Scholarships and Fellowships, click here.

To learn more about NRPA, visit nrpa.org.