American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration recognizes Minneapolis park system as best in the country during annual National Recreation and Park Association Conference in Atlanta
Posted on 9 October, 2024
Today the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) was recognized with the 2024 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management!
The Gold Medal is widely recognized as the premier award in the park and recreation industry. It was announced by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration at the annual National Recreation and Park Association Conference in Atlanta, Ga.
“I’m incredibly proud of our talented and hard-working staff and thankful to serve a city like Minneapolis, which truly loves its parks and passionately supports them,” said MPRB Superintendent Al Bangoura. “Our park system was built through more than 140 years of ambitious plans and fierce advocacy and this recognition shows we’re continuing to honor that legacy with a new emphasis on equity and innovation.”
A panel of five park and recreation professionals chosen for their considerable experience and knowledge in parks and recreation evaluates agency applications. Applications detail how agencies address the needs of those they serve across a broad range of topics, focusing primarily on initiatives undertaken or completed in the last three years.
This is the second Gold Medal Award earned by the MPRB, the first coming in 1989. The MPRB was named a Gold Medal Award finalist in 1988, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2021.
“The Gold Medal confirms what many who work, live, or play in Minneapolis know to be true – Minneapolis has one of the best park systems in the world,” said MPRB President Meg Forney. “This award is for MPRB park professionals, whom I am so grateful that they inspire, create and serve public spaces for all.”
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. Musco Lighting, LLC has been the proud sponsor of the National Gold Medal Awards program for more than 20 years.
Agencies 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. The MPRB competes in Class I, for agencies serving jurisdictions with a population of 400,001 and over. You can view the MPRB’s Gold Medal Finalist video on the MPRB YouTube page.