Awards Committee

The purpose of the Awards Committee is to recognize individuals, agencies, organizations, or institutions for their excellent, outstanding, or unique accomplishments in recreation, parks, leisure services, conservation of the environment, and the Minnesota Recreation and Park Association.

Awards Committee Co-Chair
Stacy Chouinard
City of Crystal
stacy.chouinard@crystalmn.gov

Awards Committee Co-Chair
Carissa Goebel
City of Brooklyn Center
cgoebel@brooklyncentermn.gov

Congratulations to professional award recipients for 2023:

CLIFTON E. FRENCH AWARD
Rick Birno, Golden Valley

NELSON - NILES AWARD
Joey Schugel, New Ulm

HORIZON AWARD
Chelsea Swenhaugen, Inver Grove Heights

BOARD AND COMMISSION AWARD
Peter Dugan, Eagan

LEADERSHIP AWARD
Aimee Peterson, Maple Grove

TOMMY JOHNSON AWARD
City of Richfield

LIFETIME ACHEIVEMENT AWARD
Bob and Joan Kojetin

Congratulations to professional award recipients for 2022:

CLIFTON E. FRENCH AWARD
Paul Peanasky, Faribault

LEADERSHIP AWARD
Sonya Rippe, Plymouth

TOMMY JOHNSON AWARD
Plymouth Parks and Recreation

JACK NILES AWARD
Reed Smidt, Woodbury

DOROTHEA NELSON AWARD
Annie Olson, Minneapolis

HORIZON AWARD
Meredith Lawrence, Mendota Heights

BOARD AND COMMISSION AWARD
Thomas P. Anderson, Corcoran

Professional Award Recipients 2021:

CLIFTON E. FRENCH AWARD
Tom Schmitz, New Ulm

JACK NILES AWARD
Alex McKinney, Washington County

DOROTHEA NELSON AWARD
Marcia Larson and Becky Sola

HORIZON AWARD
Jenna Smith, Bloomington

BOARD AND COMMISSION AWARD
Thomas P. Anderson, Corcoran

Professional Awards

MRPA celebrates the professional awards recipients and their outstanding accomplishments during the professional awards ceremony.

Congratulations to the MRPA professional award recipients for 2024:

CLIFTON E. FRENCH AWARD

Tracy Petersen, Edina

NELSON - NILES AWARD

Carrie Anderson, Roseville

Nikki Friederich, St. Louis Park

HORIZON AWARD

Jessica Christensen Buck, Corcoran

Kevin O'Brien, Faribault

BOARD AND COMMISSION AWARD

Troy Fritz, St. Cloud

LEADERSHIP AWARD

Jason T. West, St. Louis Park

TOMMY JOHNSON AWARD

City of Duluth

LEGISLATIVE AWARD

Representative Leon Lillie

Nomination Procedure:

Nominating an individual for and MRPA Professional Award, Board and Commission and Special Award is an easy process. Call for nominations will be open in early-October 2025 with a deadline of three weeks. The awards committee will finalize the recipient list by early-November.

MRPA professional members who are nominated will receive a professional profile form to complete that will provide more information about their professional experience and MRPA involvement. The MRPA Professional Award recipients are honored during the Annual General Meeting and Awards Luncheon.

Click here to learn more about the professional award categories.

Professional Award Recipients 2020:

CLIFTON E. FRENCH AWARD
Sandy Breuer, Washington County

JACK NILES AWARD
Nate Rosa, St. Louis Park

DOROTHEA NELSON AWARD
Nicole Gorman, Edina

HORIZON AWARD
Chris Fleck, Eagan
JJ Williams, Washington County  

TOMMY JOHNSON AWARD
St. Louis Park Parks and Recreation  

LEADERSHIP AWARD
Dale McCamish, Rochester 

Awards of Excellence

The Awards of Excellence are presented by Minnesota Recreation and Park Association. Nominations for new or purposefully updated/changed initiatives completed in 2025 will be open in February 2026. Thank you!

The major goal of the Awards of Excellence program is to increase public awareness and appreciation of the excellent parks, trails, and recreation services available in Minnesota. The awards committee will score selected agencies and follow up with recipients in late spring. 

Public presentations of the awards are made before the agencies’ governing bodies throughout the summer season. These projects will also be highlighted in the fall issue of the MRPA member magazine. 

MRPA congratulates the MRPA Awards of Excellence for projects completed in 2024 in the following categories:

Administrative or Management Strategies

• City of Richfield - Our Legacy, Our Future: Local Option Sales Tax Referendum for Recreation Facilities
• City of Roseville - Natural Resources Management Plan Update
• Saint Peter Recreation and Leisure Services - Saint Peter's 2024-2038 Parks and Recreation Master Plan
• Washington County Parks - Seasonal Staffing Process Improvements

Marketing & Communications

• City of Mendota Heights - Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Annual Report Video
• City of St. Louis Park - Share Your Story

Park and Facility

• City of Cottage Grove - Glacial Valley Park and Building
• City of New Brighton - Totem Pole Park Reconstruction
• City of Rochester Parks and Forestry - Cascade Lake Regional Park
• Dakota County - CSAH 32 Wildlife Tunnels
• Washington County Parks - Historic Courthouse Reconstruction

Programming and Events

• Bemidji Parks and Recreation Department - Casting with Cops
• City of Cottage Grove - Pickleball in Cottage Grove
• Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board - Backyard Chicken Series - Chicken Incubation and Embryology, Coop Group, Chicken Fiesta
• Three Rivers Park District - The Big Year of Bugs

Sponsorships and Partnerships

• City of Brooklyn Center - Yoga for All
• City of Brooklyn Center - Harvest for All - Local Food Purchase Assistance Produce Distribution
• City of New Brighton - Parks Discovery Day
• City of Newport - Busy Beaver Playground Reconstruction
• Three Rivers Park District and V3 Sports - Family Water Safety Workshops

Volunteer Initiatives

• City of Winona Parks and Recreation Department - Free Holiday Shopping Experience
• Saint Peter Recreation and Leisure Services Department - St. Peter Library's Teen Advisory Board (TAB) and VolunTeen Programs

Congratulations again to all MRPA Awards of Excellence recipients!

Awards of Excellence for Projects Completed in 2023 - Read More

Awards of Excellence for Projects Completed in 2022 - Read More

Awards of Excellence for Projects Completed in 2021 - Read More

Awards of Excellence for Projects Completed in 2020 - Read More

Awards of Excellence for Projects Completed in 2019 - Read More

Awards of Excellence for Projects Completed in 2018 - Read More

Awards of Excellence for Projects Completed in 2017 - Read More

Awards of Excellence for Projects Completed in 2016 - Read More

Awards of Excellence for Projects Completed in 2015 - Read More