The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), with the help of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), announced the 2021 National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation.

The Gold Medal Awards program recognizes communities across the country that exhibits excellence in park and recreation in several categories including planning, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, and agency recognition to name a few. Each candidate was separated into seven classes, five based on population, one class for armed forces recreation and one class for state park systems.

"Each Finalist is congratulated for receiving this prestigious award. We know local communities, state park systems, and military installations worldwide met the challenge of being responsive to the changing demands of delivering services during the COVID 19 pandemic," AAPRA Executive Director Jane H. Adams "Park visitors and program participants have come to rely upon their service provider for physical, mental, and emotional support during this pandemic. The Academy congratulates each Finalist for their management excellence during this unprecedented time."

The 2021 Gold Medal finalists are:
Class I (population 400,001 and over)
• Chicago Park District - Chicago, Illinois
• Cleveland Metro Parks - Cleveland, Ohio
• Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board - Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Class II (population 150,001 - 400,000)
• Chesterfield County Parks & Recreation - Chester, Virginia

 
• Des Moines Parks and Recreation - Des Moines, Iowa
• City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Department - Tampa, Florida
• City of Wichita Parks & Recreation - Wichita, Kansas

Class III (population 75,001 - 150,000)
• City of New Braunfels Parks and Recreation - New Braunfels, Texas
• Provo Parks & Recreation - Provo, Utah
• South Bend Venues, Parks, and Arts - South Bend, Indiana
• Waukegan Park District - Waukegan, Illinois

Class IV (population 30,001 - 75,000)
• Centerville-Washington Park District - Centerville, Ohio
• Coppell Parks and Recreation - Coppell, Texas
• Grapevine Parks and Recreation - Grapevine, Texas
• Park District of Oak Park - Oak Park, Illinois

Class V (population less than 30,000)
• East Goshen Township Parks and Recreation - West Chester, Pennsylvania
• Deerfield Park District - Deerfield, Illinois
• Town of Fountain Hills Community Services - Fountain Hills, Arizona
• Vernon Hills Park District - Vernon Hills, Illinois

Armed Forces Recreation
• Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay - Kings Bay, Georgia
• Naval Air Station Whiting Field - Milton, Florida
• Naval Base Coronado - San Diego, California
• US Army Garrison Bavaria - Grafenwoehr, Germany

State Parks
• Delaware State Parks
• Ohio Division of State Parks & Watercraft
• Tennessee State Parks
• Texas State Parks

https://www.nrpa.org/about-national-recreation-and-park-association/press-room/2021-finalists-announced-for-the-national-gold-medal-awards-in-parks-and-recreation-management/