Gwinnett Parks & Recreation named #1 in the country

LAWRENCEVILLE - Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation has been named the number one park agency in the country.

The agency has received the Grand Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. The recognition comes from the National Recreation and Park Association and the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration.

"This award validates what we already knew," said Lois Allen, chair of the Gwinnett County Recreation Authority. "The winners are Gwinnettians whose lives are enriched because they have spent time in Gwinnett County's parks."

In May, GCPR was named one of four finalists for the award in the Class I (population 250,000-up) category, along with Fort Worth Parks and Community Services Department, Texas, BREC; Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge, La.; and the City of Las Vegas Department of Leisure Services. Finalists then submitted master/strategic plans and 11-minute videos featuring their agency and achievements. The 2008 Gold Medal judging committee determined the Gold Medal winners in each category.

"I am proud to receive this national award on behalf of the citizens of Gwinnett who support and recognize the importance of quality of life including recreation opportunities in the county, and for the dedicated county parks and recreation staff who work hard every day to provide both young and old a world class parks and recreation department," Operations Director Sharon Plunkett said.

The most prestigious award of its kind, the Gold Medal honors park systems and communities throughout the United States that demonstrate excellence in citizen involvement and support systems, long-range planning, fiscal resource management, environmental stewardship, preservation, technological integration, program planning and assessment, professional development, agency recognition and services for special populations.

"This is literally the gold standard in national recognition for our outstanding parks and recreation division and for all the people who work so hard every day to make our facilities and programs absolutely top-notch," Gwinnett County Commission Chairman Charles Bannister said. "We must also thank Gwinnett voters for approving the SPLOST programs that have made this recognition possible."