Park award just beginning of process

We recently received some very good news. After nearly a year of hard work on the part of our entire staff and a formal hearing before the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) at the National Recreation and Parks Association conference in Atlanta, we received word that the Naperville Park District is officially a nationally accredited agency.

We are extremely proud to bring this honor to the Naperville community. It’s worth noting that we are only the second Illinois park district to attain this standard of recognition. From a national perspective, we are the 104th agency to have achieved CAPRA accreditation; there are more than 10,000 parks and recreation organizations nationwide.

So, what does this recognition mean? It provides an affirmation of our own high standards while encouraging our board and staff to continue to bring high quality recreation and parks experiences to our residents. From an efficiencies standpoint, going through the CAPRA process has enhanced our ability to focus on long term goals and plans, enhanced our operations and helped us to collaborate more effectively interdepartmentally and with other community organizations.

Although bringing this high standard of recognition home to Naperville is great, it is only the beginning of the process. Maintaining our nationally accredited status requires the production of annual reports and five and 10-year reviews. This process will continue to make us accountable within our organization while ensuring that we look at efficiencies, processes and procedures on an ongoing basis, which, in turn, will have a positive impact on our residents through the high quality programs and facilities that we offer. We are proud to have the opportunity to serve the recreation needs of Naperville and hope that you’re equally proud to have us as your park district.

Ray McGury

Executive director

Naperville Park District

Mike Reilly

Park board president