Gold Medal award winners honored at congress.

The Gold Medal distinction is the most prestigious award that an agency in the field of park and recreation administration can achieve. Since 1965, the National Sporting Goods Association, in partnership with NRPA, has recognized public agencies throughout the U.S. for excellence in park and recreation management. During NRPA's National Congress & Expo in St. Louis, the agencies below were honored for their exemplary programs and services, in part for achievements in.

* Long-range planning;

* Fiscal resource management;

* Citizen support systems;

* Environmental stewardship;

* Meeting the needs of diverse populations;

* Staff professional development.

In 1997, a state park Gold Medal Award was established to recognize outstanding state park systems in our country. This Gold Medal is given every two years, and was awarded this year.

The Gold Medal Awards winners were:

Class 1 (Population 250,000+): Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission, Riverdale, Md.

Class 2 (100,000-256,000): Scottsdale Community Services Department, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Class 3 (50,000-100,000): Denton Parks & Recreation Department, Denton, Texas

Class 4 (25,000-50,000): DeKalb Park District, DeKalb, Ill.

Class 5 (less than 25,000): Itasca Park District, Itasca, Ill.

State Parks:

New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historical Preservation, Albany, N.Y.

Prior to the announcement of the Gold Medal Award winners, NSGA and The Sports Foundation were recognized for their long-time support of the Gold Medal program, which is the highest achievement award that NRPA presents. NSGA President & CEO James L. Faltinek and Vice President-Business Development Paul M. Prince attended the NRPA Convention, and Faltinek accepted the appreciation award for the association.

NSGA's Sports Foundation is a nonprofit membership organization founded to stimulate interest in the development of new recreational activities and facilities and to encourage participation in sports. It established the National Gold Medal Awards Program for park and recreation management in 1965. Founded in 1929, NSGA's mission is to help all members profit in a competitive marketplace.