The Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department was named the 2018 National Gold Medal Award Winner for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management on Tuesday at the annual National Recreation and Park Association conference in Indianapolis.
The award is given out to by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration and the National Recreation and Park Association to agencies that best address the needs of those they serve through community members, staff and elected officials.
Bloomington Parks and Recreation was a finalist in the Class III category where it competed against other communities with populations between 75,000 and 150,000. The three other finalists included parks and recreation departments from Evanston, Illinois; Greeley, Colorado and Lawrence, Kansas.
This marks the second time the Bloomington department has received the award. It also won the Gold Medal in 2007. The completion of phase 2 of the B-Line Trail and the start of construction on Switchyard Park contributed to the department’s ability to renew its candidacy for the award.
A panel of five park and recreation professionals reviewed and judged all application materials. The final part of the application submission was a five-minute video that highlighted how Bloomington Parks and Recreation programs have a positive effect on the community.
