The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), is pleased to announce Vernon Hills Park District as a finalist for the 2019 National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. Musco Lighting, LLC has been a proud sponsor of the Gold Medal Awards program for over 10 years.

Founded in 1965, the Gold Medal Awards program honors communities in the U.S. that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development and agency recognition. Applications are separated into seven classes, with five classes based on population, one class for armed forces recreation and one class for state park systems awarded on odd numbered years.

Vernon Hills Park District is a finalist in the Class V category. Established in 1973, the Vernon Hills Park District serves a community of approximately 26,000 residents. The mission of the district is to promote diverse community based recreational opportunities by providing a variety of programs, services, facilities and natural spaces to enhance the quality of life for our residents.

Agencies are judged on their ability to address the needs of those they serve through the collective energies of community members, staff and elected officials. Vernon Hills Park District joins three other finalists in their class that will compete for grand honors this year.

Park Board President David Doerhoefer states: “We are honored to be a finalist for the NRPA Gold Medal Award, and we are so excited to showcase our Vernon Hills Park District pride with our fellow park and recreation professionals across the country.”

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

This year’s finalists will compete for Grand Plaque Award honors this summer, and the seven Grand Plaque recipients will be announced live during the NRPA General Session at the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, Sept. 24–26, 2019.

For more information on the Gold Medal Awards, visit www.nrpa.org/goldmedal or www.aapra.org.

About the Vernon Hills Park District: Created in 1973, the Vernon Hills Park District is an independent, municipal agency. An Illinois Distinguished Accredited Agency since 2006, the Vernon Hills Park District’s mission is to promote diverse community based recreational opportunities by providing a variety of programs, services, facilities and natural spaces to enhance the quality of life for our residents. The District maintains and operates more than 460 acres with 24 parks and provides more than 2,800 leisure programs annually.

The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration is a non-profit organization founded to advance knowledge related to the administration of recreation and parks; to encourage scholarly efforts by both practitioners and educators that would enhance the practice of park and recreation administration; to promote broader public understanding of the importance of parks and recreation to the public good; and, to conduct research, publish scholarly papers and sponsor seminars related to the advancement of park and recreation administration. For more information, visit www.aapra.org.

The National Recreation and Park Association
The National Recreation and Park Association is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all Americans have access to parks and recreation for health, conservation and social equity. Through its network of 60,000 recreation and park professionals and advocates, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy and active lifestyles, conservation initiatives and equitable access to parks and public space. For more information, visit www.nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit www.parksandrecreation.org.

Musco Lighting, LLC is a company that has specialized in lighting systems for sports and large areas for more than 30 years. Musco has pioneered dramatic improvements in energy efficiency and affordable ways to control wasted spill light and glare. Permanent and temporary lighting services range from neighborhood fields to NASCAR super speedways. For more information, visit www.musco.com.