National Distinguished Professional Award
The National Distinguished Professional Award is presented to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the field through their leadership, research, advocacy, community outreach, and program development.
Who should be nominated: A active park and recreation professional or educator that excels in their career with at least 15 years of experience in the field. If you know a proven park and rec leader who works to advance the profession, you should nominate them!
2025 Winner: Timothy Herd, CPRE, Chief Executive Officer, Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society, State College, Pennsylvania
Dirk Richwine Professional Mentoring Award
The Dirk Richwine Professional Mentoring Award is presented to an individual who has made outstanding contributions through mentoring of individuals and organizations to strengthen the field by helping other professionals grow, develop, and flourish, and by better preparing the next generation of parks and recreation leaders. Click here to learn more about the life and legacy of Dirk Richwine.
Who should be nominated: Park and recreation professionals who have made outstanding contributions through mentoring individuals and organizations to strengthen the field.
2025 Winner: Karen O'Donnell, CPRE, Director of Parks & Recreation, City of Wheat Ridge, Colorado
Robert W. Crawford Young Professional Award
The Robert W. Crawford Young Professional Award is presented to an individual who has shown qualities and skills needed to attain positions of leadership through their contributions to advancing the field, their creativity in creating or managing programs, and their participation in professional organizations, such as NRPA.
Who should be nominated: Park and Recreation professionals excelling at what they do and are under 35 years of age with a few years of experience under their belts. Everyone likes to be recognized — take the time to show your appreciation for an outstanding young professional.
2025 Winner: Gabrielle Vera, CPRP, Director of Parks & Recreation, Lake Havasu City, Arizona
Robert M. Artz Advocate Award
The Robert M. Artz Award recognizes an advocate, an elected or appointed official, or volunteer who has demonstrated outstanding efforts to forward public parks and recreation through education and activating the public in their community, state or at the national level.
Who should be nominated: Volunteers, advocates, and elected members of your community that have done amazing things for parks and recreation need to be recognized. You should nominate them!
2025 Winner: Adrian Dell Roberts, Community Advocate, Adrian Dell and Carmen Roberts Foundation, Riverside, California
Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt Award for Excellence in Recreation and Park Research
The Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt Award for Excellence in Recreation and Park Research is presented to an individual whose contributions to parks and recreation through research have significantly advanced the cause of the parks and recreation movement and whose dedication to the field parallels the same dedication and zeal toward parks, recreation and conservation that was exhibited by the presidents after whom the award is named.
Who should be nominated: A professional, researcher, student or professor who has contributed significantly to a research paper or project that has advanced the field.
Awarded on a 3-year cycle. Nominations will be accepted next in 2027.
2024 Winner: Dr. Clement Lau, Departmental Facilities Planner, Los Angeles County Parks & Recreation, Los Angeles, California
The Spotlight Awards are presented at the annual Best of the Best ceremony during the NRPA Annual Conference.
NRPA is now offering Digital Badges for Spotlight Award winners. Digital Badges provide professionals and agencies a way to be recognized for their achievements while offering others information on these accomplishments. To access the digital badges for Spotlight Awards and information on how to use them, please log into your NRPA profile.
For additional information contact awards@nrpa.org