Gold Medal Park District Award 2010
In 2010, Gurnee Park District won the National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. It is a comprehensive award offered by the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) that looks at the challenges and resources of an agency and how it is meeting those challenges. It is as coveted as the “Oscar” is to the movie industry. Finalists compete through a series of application, master planning and visual documentation to vie for the award. Only five are awarded each year, based on population categories. Gurnee was selected as the Gold Medal winner in class IV (pop. 25,000-50,000) on October 27, 2010 at the NRPA Congress in Minneapolis. The video created for the application is available to view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixlZHW5S5es
Illinois Park and Recreation Distinguished Agency
In 2010, Gurnee Park District received Distinguished Accreditation status from the Illinois Association of Park Districts and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association. In this rigorous process, the staff reviewed and documented every aspect of the agency over the course of a year. The District is accredited through 2016.
Ellis and Associates Gold Medal for Lifeguard Safety
Gurnee Park District lifeguards have earned the Ellis & Associates Gold International Safety Award for excellence in aquatic safety and service that only the top 10% of agencies in the world earn. In any aquatic environment, safety is important, and at Gurnee Park District, you will find the safety of our guests is our highest priority.
Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting
The Park District’s Fiscal Year 2015-2016 Annual Budget won the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. This was the 6th year the Park District received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. The Park District first applied for the award in 2010 with the Fiscal Year 2010 – 2011 Annual Budget. The GFOA established the Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program (Budget Awards Program) in 1984 to encourage and assist state and local governments to prepare budget documents of the very highest quality that reflect both the guidelines established by the National Advisory Council on State and Local Budgeting and the GFOA’s best practices on budgeting and then to recognize individual governments that succeed in achieving that goal. Documents submitted to the Budget Awards Program are reviewed by selected members of the GFOA professional staff and by outside reviewers with experience in public-sector budgeting.
