The National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) and The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) in a partnership announced the 2023 Grand Plaque recipients in the National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management.

The program honors communities that excel in parks and recreation through planning, stewardship, and agency communications. Nominations are given within five classes based on population and one for the armed forces.

 

The following agencies were honored on October 11 in Dallas, Texas, at the 2023 NRPA Annual Conference:

• Class I (population 400,001 & over): Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation, Virginia Beach, Virginia
• Class II (population 150-001 - 400,000): City of Plano Parks and Recreation Department, Plano, Texas
• Class III (population 75,001 - 150,000): Champaign Park District, Champaign, Illinois
• Class IV (population 30,001 - 75,000): Hoffman Estates Park District, Hoffman Estates, Illinois
• Class V (population under 30,000): Cullman Parks, Recreation, and Sports Tourism, Cullman, Alabama
• Armed Forces Recreation: Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Kanagawa, Japan
• State Parks: Texas State Parks, Austin, Texas