The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is proud to announce the finalists for the 2006 National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. Congratulations to all the Illinois nominees!

The 2006 Gold Medal finalists are:
Class I (population 250,000 and over)
City of Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation, and Marine, Calif.
Indianapolis Parks and Recreation, Ind.
Fort Worth Parks and Community Services, Texas
Gwinnett County, Ga.

Class II (population 100,001 – 250,000)
Boise Parks and Recreation, Idaho
City of Peoria Community Services Department, Ariz.
Tempe Parks and Recreation, Ariz.
City of Westminster Department of Parks, Recreation and Libraries, Colo.

Class III (population 50,001 – 100,000)
Bend Metro Park and Recreation District, Ore.
Bolingbrook Park District, Ill.
Foothills Park and Recreation District, Colo.
City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation, Ind.

Class IV (population 25,001 – 50,000)
Elmhurst Park District, Ill.
Homewood-Flossmoor Park District, Ill.
City of Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation, Ore.
Town of Parker Parks and Recreation, Colo.

Class V (population less than 25,000)
Bloomingdale Park District, Ill.
City of North Platte Leisure Services, Neb.
Frankfort Square Park District, Ill.
Vernon Hills Park District, Ill.

The Gold Medals honor communities throughout the United States that demonstrate excellence in long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development, and agency recognition. Each agency is judged on its ability to address the needs of those it serves through the collective energies of citizens, staff and elected officials.

A panel of five parks and recreation professionals reviews and judges all application materials. Judges are chosen for their considerable experiences and knowledge in parks and recreation on both local and national levels.

This year’s finalists will compete for Grand Award honors this spring, and all winners will be announced live during at NRPA’s Annual Congress & Exposition in Seattle, Washington, October 10 – 14, 2006

For information on the Gold Medals for 2005, contact NRPA Awards Coordinator Marianne O’Riley at moriley@nrpa.org or (703) 858-2190. For online information, go to the National Recreation and Park Association website at www.nrpa.org/awards or the Academy for Park and Recreation Administration website at www.rpts.tamu.edu/aapra.