Lombard parks finalist for Gold Medal award
Lombard Park District has been selected as a finalist for the 2019 National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management.
Founded in 1965, the program honors communities 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 based on population, one for armed forces recreation and one for state park systems awarded on odd numbered years.
Lombard Park District is a finalist in the Class IV category, which serves populations of 30,001 to 75,000.
The awards are presented by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association.
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. Lombard Park District joins three other finalists in its class that will compete for grand honors this year.
"We are extremely proud to be nominated once again for this national recognition," said Paul Friedrichs, park district executive director.
Other finalists from Illinois in various categories are Chicago, Waukegan, Glenview, Glencoe, Rolling Meadows and Vernon Hills.
A panel of five park and recreation professionals reviews and judges all application materials. Judges are chosen for their 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.
For more information on the Gold Medal Awards, visit www.nrpa.org/goldmedal or www.aapra.org. For more information on the Lombard Park District, visit www.lombardparks.com.