The Fairfax County Park Authority has been awarded the 2019 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), awarded this honor to the Fairfax County Park Authority at the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference in Baltimore, Md. The honor caps months of preparation and commitment to the highest level of service in parks and recreation.

The Park Authority won the Grand Plaque in the Class 1 category for populations greater than 400,000. Agencies are judged on their ability to address the needs of those they serve through the collective energies of citizens, staff and elected officials. This is the fourth time that the Park Authority has earned this prestigious honor.

Park Authority Executive Director Kirk W. Kincannon was on hand to accept the award. “Our Park Authority team is honored and humbled to be recognized as ‘The Best in the Nation’ by the American Academy of Parks and Recreation and the National Recreation and Park Association,” said Kincannon. “We do what we love and we love what we do every day of the year because parks matter and parks build strong and healthy communities all across this great nation.”

“It is an honor and pleasure to be awarded the National Gold Medal in Class 1,” said Bill Bouie, Chairman of the Park Authority Board. “This award is a tribute to the quality of life in Fairfax County and the importance of parks in the health and wellness of our residents. We can only do this with a great staff, and support from the Board of Supervisors, the Park Authority Board, and our residents. Our citizens love their parks and this award is a tribute to them.”

Founded in 1965, the Gold Medal Awards program honors communities throughout the United States that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development and agency recognition. 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.

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