The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with the National Recreation and ParkAssociation (NRPA), announced the Glenview Park District as a finalist for the 2025 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. Musco Lighting, LLC has been a proud sponsor of the Gold Medal Awards program for over 20 years.

Founded in 1965, the Gold Medal Awards program honors communities in 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. Applications are separated into seven classes, with five classes based on population, one class for armed forces recreation and one class, awarded on odd numbered years, for state park systems.

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. Four finalists in each class are chosen to compete for grand honors each year.

The Glenview Park District is a finalist in the Class IV category (population 30,001 to 75,000). The District won the award in 1970 and 1977, and was a finalist in 2009, 2019 and 2024.

“Being named a Gold Medal finalist inspires us to continue striving for excellence for our community,” said Michael McCarty, Glenview Park District Executive Director. “I couldn’t be prouder of the staff, volunteers and board members who made this possible.”

A panel of five park and recreation professionals reviews and judges all application materials. Judges are chosen for their considerable experience and knowledge in parks and recreation both locally and nationally.

This year’s Finalists awardees will compete for Grand Plaque Award honor, and the six Grand Plaque recipients will be announced at the 2025 NRPA Annual Conference in September.

For more information on the Gold Medal Awards, visit www.nrpa.org/goldmedal or www.aapra.org.