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MRPA Professional Awards
By Bethani Gerhard, Minnesota Recreation and Park Association
This years’ professional awards ceremony was held in conjunction with the MRPA Annual Conference at the Earle Brown Center on October 12, 2021. MPRA recognizes members and agencies that have made outstanding contributions to parks and recreation. Past MRPA president, Chris Esser, emcee’d the luncheon and distributed awards to the winners. The Clifton E. French Distinguished Service Award is MRPA’s award of highest distinction. The 2020 recipient for this award was Sandy Breuer, parks and recreation director for Washington County Parks. The Jack Niles Award is presented to a male professional member with 10-plus years of outstanding service to the parks and recreation profession and to MRPA. The 2020 recipient was Nate Rosa with the City of St. Louis Park. The Dorothea Nelson Award is presented to a female professional member with 10-plus years of outstanding service to the parks and recreation profession and to MRPA. The recipient was Nicole Gorman with the City of Edina. Chris Fleck, Eagan Parks and Recreation, and JJ Williams, Washington County Parks, received the Horizon Award. This award is given to a professional member of MRPA with eight years or less of professional experience. In order to receive this award, the MRPA member must be an “up and coming” professional and an active contributor to MRPA with great leadership skills. The Tommy Johnson Award was presented to the City of St. Louis Park. The MRPA Awards Committee selected one “Award of Excellence” project to receive this award for best exemplifying the values that Tommy Johnson was known for; innovation, futuristic, revolutionary and/or creative with ideas and initiatives that helped establish future trends, philosophical change, sharing of new resources and new exciting concepts. The Gerald B. Fitzgerald Leadership Award is presented to an outstanding leader who possesses the skill, creativity, and ability to motivate and create notable accomplishments or advancements in the parks and recreation profession and someone who is an active contributor to MRPA. The 2020 recipient was Dale McCamish with Rochester Parks and Recreation.
Congratulations to all MRPA professional award recipients. MRPA extends a special thank you to Landscape Structures, Inc. for their generous support of the awards program.
Left to right: JJ Williams, Chris Esser, Sandy Breuer, Jason West, Mark Oestreich, Chris Fleck, Nicole Gorman, and Nate Rosa; (Dale McCamish not pictured - not in attendance) Chris Esser, Nate Rosa, and Michelle Margo
Chris Esser, Nicole Gorman, and John W. Stutzman
