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Awards

2021 Awards Program

NACPRO is accepting nominations for the 2021 awards program through March 12, 2021. 

The annual NACPRO Awards Banquet recognizes and honors excellence in parks and recreation at the county, regional, special district level throughout the nation. 

The Board of Directors decided not to conduct a summer meeting in 2021. Many park districts have cut their travel budgets and there’s still too much uncertainty about when it will be safe for us to gather again. We are hoping to resume our summer meeting in 2022.

Call for Nominations & Instructions
Submit an Award Nomination

Award Categories

Individual Awards

  1. Outstanding Public Official is presented to an elected or appointed federal, state, or local official (including commissioner or board member) who has contributed significantly to the benefit of NACPRO member parks, recreation, leisure services and open space programs.
  2. Professional
    • Lifetime: to recognize professionals who are retiring or leaving parks and recreation service.
    • Fellow: to recognize an exemplary professional currently employed in the parks and recreation service.
  3. Friends of Parks and Recreation
    • Outstanding Contributor: presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution of land or fiscal resources to parks and recreation.
    • Outstanding Volunteer: presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution of personal time and talent to a NACPRO member agency.
    • Outstanding Support Organization: presented to an organization that has responded in an exceptional manner by making a major contribution to benefit park and recreation programs or facilities.

Area and Facility Awards

These awards are presented to recognize a NACPRO member agency that has provided a unique or exceptional area, facility, trail, corridor, operational or historical facility; to focus national attention on the very best of facility design; to encourage outstanding efforts in planning, design, construction, and benefits to the community

  1. Park and Recreation Areas or Facilities
  2. Trails and Corridors
  3. Operational Facilities
  4. Historical/Cultural Facility

Park and Recreation Program Awards

These awards are presented to recognize a NACPRO member agency that has provided a unique or exceptional program, activity, or event.

Special Awards

Social Justice (New this year)
The award honors a park system that has served as a change agent and made a tangible impact in the community and/or workplace by prioritizing a culture of equity and inclusion. This award recognizes outstanding commitment in the following areas:
  • A community based program or improvement project in service to the public that promotes equity and inclusion.
  • A workplace initiative or policy that has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to social justice through leadership and collaboration.

Conservation: to recognize an exceptional effort to acquire, restore, preserve, operate, or develop unique or significant conservation and natural areas or programs.

Removing Barriers Initiative: to recognize a unique program or facility that enables and encourages greater participation in parks and recreation by persons with disabilities.

Planning Initiative: to recognize a research or planning initiative that has provided the agency with important information to aid in decision-making and which contributes to a body of knowledge that will be valuable to other agencies.

Marketing: to recognize a marketing effort demonstrating unique, significant, or exceptional outcomes. This award category includes projects involving market research, marketing plans, promotion, advertising, and use of information technologies.