Arlington Parks and Recreation has been selected as a finalist for the 2014 National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management program. The award is handed out by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA).

The Gold Medal Award honors communities throughout the United States that demonstrate excellence in long-range planning, resource management, and agency recognition. 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.

"The Gold Medal Award is the highest honor in the park and recreation profession," Director Lemuel Randolph said. "We are thrilled to be selected as one of four finalists in the nation. This speaks to the quality of our staff and is another reason why Arlington is 'the American Dream City.'"

The other three national finalists in the Class II division (populations of 150,000-400,000) are Bakersfield (CA) Recreation and Parks, Henderson (NV) Public Works, Parks and Recreation, and Plano (TX) Parks and Recreation, Texas. The Gold Medal Grand Plaque will be presented at the opening session of the 2014 NRPA Congress in Charlotte, N.C., on Tuesday, October 14.

Read full story