2024 National Gold Medal Finalist Press Release
[May 2, 2024] 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 National Gold Medal finalists are:
Class I (Population 400,001 and over)
Class II (Population 150,001 – 400,000)
Class III (Population 75,001 – 150,000)
Class IV (Population 30,001 – 75,000)
Class V (Population less than 30,000)
Armed Forces Recreation (Worldwide)
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 six Grand Plaque recipients will be announced at the 2024 NRPA Annual Conference in Atlanta, GA.
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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. For information, visit www.aapra.org.
The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is the leading not-for-profit organization dedicated to building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation. With more than 60,000 members, NRPA advances this mission by investing in and championing the work of park and recreation professionals and advocates — the catalysts for positive change in service of equity, climate-readiness, and overall health and well-being. For more information, visit nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit parksandrecreation.org.
Musco Lighting, LLC is a company that has specialized in lighting systems for sports and large areas for more than 30 years. Musco has pioneered dramatic improvements in energy efficiency and affordable ways to control wasted spill light and glare. Permanent and temporary lighting services range from neighborhood fields to NASCAR super speedways. For more information, visit www.musco.com.
The National Gold Medal Awards are Proudly Sponsored by Musco Lighting.