LSPR Finalist for National Gold Medal Award
Lee's Summit Park Board and Staff are hoping 2010 will be a banner year for Lee's Summit Parks and Recreation (LSPR) and its community. The agency was named one of the top four parks & recreation agencies in the nation (among cities with population of 50,001-100,000) by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). "The National Gold Medal Award is the most prestigious award a Parks and Recreation department can aspire to," stated Ruthie Funk, LSPR Board President. She continues, "Being a finalist is an honor and a direct reflection of the excellence, innovation, commitment and collaboration of the Lee's Summit Parks and Recreation department, city officials and citizen volunteers." The Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Parks & Recreation, which has been in existence since 1966, honors communities throughout the United States that demonstrate excellence in long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development, and agency recognition. Tom Lovell, LSPR Administrator states "In Parks and Recreation this is the highest honor that a community can receive. Just to be a finalist is in and of itself a great tribute to the work of the city council, Parks and Recreation Board and staff, the thousands of volunteers involved in our programs and activities and our citizens who have provided unwavering support of our work." Each agency is judged on its ability to address the needs of those it serves through the collective energies of citizens, staff and elected officials. Each of the finalists must submit a 12-minute video about the community, its parks and recreation services and facilities and how it developed into what it is today for final review by the national panel of judges. Gold Medal winners are then selected based on the agency's ability to effectively identify and address the needs of those it serves, and then its ability to implement, enhance, and improve its parks, programs, and facilities. Kerrie Nichols, Special Events Manager for LSPR, came from a Gold Medal community and knows first hand, that once a winner, the department becomes "a system that the entire nation looks to for creative and unique programs and amenities". Since its creation, only two agencies in the state of Missouri have received the prestigious Gold Medal Grand Plaque, Springfield-Green County Park Board in 2000 and Columbia Parks and Recreation in 1984. Within the metro area, Johnson County Parks and Recreation won the award in 1995. Joe Snook, Assistant Superintendent states "This is truly an honor for our department and for the City of Lee's Summit. We are proud to be a final four department." Winners will be announced live during NRPA's Annual Congress & Exposition in Minneapolis, MN, October 25-29, 2010. For more information about Lee's Summit Parks and Recreation, call 816-969-1500 or email lspr@cityofls.net
Jim Devine is 2010 Missouri Professional Economic Developer of the Year
