2022
William Mitchell, Executive Director, Department of Parks and Recreation, Pennsylvania
2021
Arnold Randall, General Superintendent, Forest Preserves District of Cook County
Elizabeth Kessler, Executive Director, McHenry County Conservation District
John J. Reynolds, Director, West Region, National Park Service (Retired)
2020
Daniel L. Dustin, PhD, Utah
2019
Dr. Phillip Rea, Professor Emeritus, Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at North Carolina State University
Renée E. Bahl, Associate Vice Chancellor, University of California, Santa Barbara
Richard J. Dolesh, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, National Recreation and Park Association
2018
Mr. William “Bill” Scalzo, Director, Maricopa County Parks & Recreation Department, Arizona
Robert Emmett Doyle, General Manager, East Bay Regional Park District, California
2017
Anita Gorman, Park & Recreation Advocate, Kansas City, Missouri
Lewis Ledford, Director; Executive Director, North Carolina State Parks; National Assoc. of State Parks Directors
Peter Sortino , Park Advocate, Member, Board of Directors and Executive , Forest Park Forever, St. Louis, Missouri
2016
John Sutter, Board Member, East Bay Regional Park District, California
Richard L. Ash, Jr., Director, St. Charles Park District, Missouri
2015
John C. Potts , Superintendent of Parks and Planning, Peoria Park District, and Executive Director, Champaign County Forest Preserve District, Illinois
Lamar Alexander, Govonor, State of Tennessee, Tennessee
Mary Kathleen “Kathy” Perales, Research Biologist, Engineer Research and Development Center, US Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi
2014
Eric W. O’Brien
James A. Peterson, Professor, Indiana University, Indiana
Katie Porter, Park Advocate & Chair; Vice Chair; Chair, Morris County Park Commission; Governor's Council on New Jersey Outdoors; NRPA Board of Directors
2013
Barry Tindall, Director Public Policy , NRPA, Virginia
Beverly D. (Brandes) Chrisman, Park Advocate, Chair; President, Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission; NRPA, South Carolina
John H. Davis, Executive Director, CPRA, Virginia
2012
Joe Crookham, Park Advocate, President; Board of Directors; Member, Mahaska County Recreation Foundation; National Park Foundation; Little League Baseball Foundation, Iowa
Pete Dangermond, Director; President, California State Parks; Save-the-Redwoods League, California
Roger K. Brown, Director; First Director, Greensboro Park & Rec, NC; North Clackamas Parks & Rec Dist., OR
2011
Dr. Roderick Frazier Nash, Professor, Historian, Author, University of California Santa Barbara, CA
James Reed Ellis, Park Advocate, First Citizen Award; recipient, National Jefferson Award, Seattle-King County, WA
John J. Nau III, Park Advocate; Chair, Advisory Council; Chair, Historic Preservation & Preserve America Initiative; Civil War Trust, TX
2010
Charles E. Hartsoe, Professor Emeritus, Virginia Commonwealth University, author, advocate
Harry (Hal) G. Haskell, Jr, Former Member of Congress, NRPA Life Trustee
Martin J. Rosen, Founding Member, former Chairman & President, The Trust for Public Land
2009
Anne M. Burke, Justice, Illinois Supreme Court
Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Executive Vice President, Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation
George L. Bristol, President, Texas Coalition for Conservation
Huey Johnson, President, Resource Renewal Institute
2008
Elizabeth (Liz) Cushman Titus Putnam, Founding President, Student Conservation Association, NH
Henry L. Diamond, Environmental Lawyer, Washington, DC
Vern J. Hartenburg, Executive Director, Cleveland Metroparks, OH
2007
Elizabeth (Betsy) Barlow Rogers , President, Central Park Conservancy, New York City
Fran P. Mainella, Director, National Park Service, Washington, DC
Stuart L. Udall, Secretary of Interior, Washington, DC
2006
L.W. "Bill" Lane, Jr., Retired Publisher, Sunset, Menlo Park, CA
Tony A. Mobley, Dean Emeritus, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
2005
Clifton E. French, Superintendent, Hennepin County Park Preserve District
Lady Bird Johnson, Conservationist, Austin, TX
Patrick F. Noonan, Chair, Conservation Fund, Washington, DC
2004
Brian O'Neill, Superintendent, Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Laurance S. Rockefeller, Conservationist and Philanthropist, Pocantico, NY
Victor Ashe, Mayor , Knoxville, TN
2003
Pat O'Brien, General Manager, East Bay Regional Park District, CA
Robert "Bob" G. Stanton, Director, National Park Service, Washington, DC
Terese "Terry" Tarlton Hershey, Conservationist, Houston, TX
2002
Bernadette Castro, Commissioner, NY State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation
Eugene Young, Superintendent, Recreation & Park Commission for East Baton Rouge Parish, LA
R. Dean Tice, Executive Director, National Recreation & Park Association, Ashburn, VA
2001
Andrea Moore, State Representative, Illinois
Anne Springs Close, Fort Mill, SC
Dr. Joe Bannon, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
2000
Bruce Babbitt, Secretary, Department of Interior, Washington, DC
Carol M. Severin, Chair, East Bay Regional Park District, CA
Chris Jarvi, Director, City of Anaheim, CA
1999
John L. Crompton, Distinguished Professor, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Joseph Caverly, Director, Westchester County Parks Commission, NY
1998
Fran P. Mainella, Director, National Park Service, Washington, DC
Ken Winslade , Director, Department of Parks & Recreation, New Westminster, BC, Canada
1997
Ernest William Nance, Director, Oaklawn Park District, IL
Ira J. Hutchison, Assistant Director, National Park Service, Washington, DC
1995
Charles R. Jordan, Director, Portland, OR
Edward J. Koenemann, Director, Vermont State Parks
1994
Cordie O. Hudkins, Jr., Director, West Virginia State Parks
James J. Truncer, Director, Monmouth County Park System, NJ
John E. Cook, Regional Director, National Park Service, Santa Fe, NM
1993
Andrew Sansom, Director, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
James "Jim" Andrew Colley, Director, Phoenix Parks, Recreation & Library Department, AZ
James M. Ridenour, Director, National Park Service, Washington, DC
William "Bill" J. Briggle, Superintendent, Mt. Ranier National Park
1992
Boyd Evison, Regional Director, National Park Service
Ralph S. Cryder, Director, Los Angeles County Parks, CA
Ray H. Murray, National Park Service, Sacramento, CA
1991
Denis P. Galvin, Deputy Director, National Park Service, Washington, DC
Ford W. Hughes, Director, St. James Foundation
Ronald H. Dodd, Director, Chicago Park District, IL
1990
David Talbot, Director, Oregon State Parks
Gary Everhardt , Director, National Park Service, Washington, DC
Richard "Dick" Trudeau, Director, East Bay Regional Park District, CA
William J. Hopkins, Director, Delaware State Parks
1989
H.C. "Chuck" Johnson, Director, DuPage County Forest Preserve, IL
Orin Lehman, Commissioner, NY State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation
Philip O. Stewart, Assistant Director, Land Acquisition, National Park Service
Willis "Will" P. Kriz, National Park Service
1988
William C. "Bill" Walters , Director, Indiana State Parks
William Penn Mott, Jr., Director, National Park Service
William R. "Bill" Bird, Director, Metropolitan Dade County Parks & Recreation Department, FL
1987
Marc Sagan, Chief, Harpers Ferry Center, National Park Service
Robert F. Toalson, Director, Champaign (IL) Park District
William C. “Bill” Forrey, Director, Pennsylvania State Parks
1983
Charles H. Odegaard , Director, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
David 0. Laidlaw, Director, Huron-Clinton Metroparks, OH
Manus “Jack” Fish, Jr., Director, National Capital Region, National Park Service
1982
Graham A. Skea, Director, Parks, Recreation & Conservation, Orange County, NY
John A. Townsley, Superintendent, Yellowstone National Park, WY
William Penn Mott, Jr., Director, National Park Service
1981
Frank C. Vaydik, Director, Kansas City (MO) Parks, Recreation and Conservation
1979
Daniel ]ames "Jim" Tobin, Jr. , Deputy Director, National Park Service
Maxwell D. Ramsey, Director, Cultural Resources & Recreation, Tennessee Valley Authority
1974
Rhodell E. Owens, Director, Peoria (IL) Park District
Russell E. Dickenson, Director, National Park Service
1973
Horace G. Caldwell, Executive Director, Jekyll Island Authority, GA
William A. "Bill" Parr, Superintendent, Maryland State Parks
1972
Howard Gregg, General Manager, Milwaukee County (WI) Parks & Recreation Department
Nathaniel P. "Nate" Reed, Assistant Secretary, Department of the Interior
William Penn Mott, Jr., Director, National Park Service
1971
Earl Edison Gaylor, General Manager, Oglebay Park, Wheeling, WV
Joseph W. Souza, Jr., Director, Hawaii State Parks
Melvin M. Payne, Chair, National Geographic Society
1970
Ben H. Bolen, Commissioner, Virginia Division of Parks
Harthon "Spud" L. Bill, Deputy Directo, National Park Service
Robert W. Ruhe, Superintenden, Board of Park Commission, Minneapolis, MN
1969
Ignatius "Nash" Castro, Regional Director, National Capital Parks, Washington, DC
Lawrence "Larry" N. Stevens, Associate Director, Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, Washington, DC
1968
Lemuel “Lon” A. Garrison, Director, Region V, National Park Service, Philadelphia, PA
William M. "Mark" Gosdin, Director, Department of Park Services, TX Parks & Wildlife Dept
1967
Earl Philip Hanson, Chief, California Division of Beaches & Parks
George B. Hartzog Jr., Director, National Park Service
John "Jack" P. Hewitt, Director, Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission
1966
James H. Evans, Chair, National Park & Recreation Association
Kermit "Mac" McKeever, Chief, Division of Parks and Recreation, Charleston, WV
1965
Elbert Cox, Regional Director, National Park Service
Russell B. Tobey, Director, Division of Parks, Concord, NH
1928
Stephen Tyng Mather, Director and Founder , National Park Service