Admin Management Excellence
City of Carrollton
As the City of Carrollton dealt with the aftermath of one of the worst winter storms in the City’s history, the city mobilized a warming shelter for Carrollton residents. Carrollton residents, like many in the state of Texas were without power or water following the storm. Within hours, The Parks and Recreation team organized and opened a warming shelter. Carrollton Parks and Recreation team took on the challenge of shelter logistics full force despite lots of staff facing their own personal devastation at home, operating the shelter for 6 days, and providing refuge to hundreds of people.
Admin Management Excellence
City of Grapevine
During mid-February 2021, North and Central Texas experienced historic winter event, leaving many residents without water, electricity, and limited resources. While the winter event was a new challenge, City of Grapevine, was experiencing the struggles with living and operating in a world with COVID-19. Grapevine citizens were already dealing with illnesses and deaths – physical and mental ailments from the pandemic. In the midst of the surge of winter weather, Grapevine had to think quickly and implement plans that were designed for an emergency outside of the pandemic. City of Grapevine worked tirelessly, maneuvering, adjusting and communicating plans and actions to address both situations to provide a safe and secure environment for the community as their first priority.
Excellence in Planning
City of Baytown—Baytown Parks, Recreation, Trails & Open Space Master Plan with Designer: Halff Associates, Inc.
The City of Baytown’s newly adopted 10-year Parks and Recreation Master Plan is one of the most comprehensive and in-depth park system master plans in Texas. The plan goes far beyond the traditional master plan—with focuses on active transportation, resilience, ecosystem services, habitat restoration and nature-based tourism—enabling Baytown’s staff and Parks Team to significantly expand the breadth and comprehensiveness of their forward-looking process. The master plan formulates 84 unique and realistic strategies with more than 150 associated actions and initiatives. Planners collaborated with the parks department to develop a detailed Implementation Action Plan (IAP) that
gives the city and its residents a prioritized timeframe for achieving these strategic goals. This unique and implementable master plan provides a roadmap for other coastal communities to envision, strategize and fulfill their community’s goals.
Maintenance Achievement
City of McKinney — “Developed Career Ladder”
At the beginning of the 2021 year, the McKinney Parks & Recreation Department recognized deficiencies in the Parks Maintenance Division’s organizational structure and operational systems. Dealing with inequalities in position advancements, limited growth and training opportunities, and finding methods to capture and report work became real challenges the team wanted to address. Through the City of McKinney’s culture of leadership at all levels, and the collaborative environment in which shared communication throughout the organization is encouraged, the parks maintenance team was able to overcome these hurdles. Within a short amount of time, a work order system was created, a new career ladder has formed, and a training program implemented, thanks to the collective efforts of the team and its dynamic partnerships.
Park Design Excellence
The City of San Antonio’s Robert L. B. Tobin Land Bridge at Phil Hardberger Park Designer Stephen Stimson Associates Landscape Architects, Inc., Rialto Studios and Arup.
San Antonio, Texas is home to the Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge located at Phil Hardberger Park and is the largest land bridge of its kind designed for both people and animals in the United States, connecting the east and west sides of the parks, amenities, and its miles of trails, creating a safe passageway for people and wildlife. At 150 feet wide, the Land Bridge, an idea transformed by visionary leader & former Mayor Phil Hardberger, is broad enough for people and animals to safely cross. It also features a one-of-a-kind Skywalk, which is an elevated walkway that gently climbs through the treetops to the top of the bridge, all twenty-five feet above a busy highway. The Land Bridge is a low-impact design that reclaims natural habitat above Wurzbach Parkway, expanding the park’s natural beauty and establishing a new space for education on conservation, wildlife and the South Texas landscape.
Dan Whitworth Fellow
Michael “Mick” Massey
Mick’s 28 years of experience with the City of Richardson is a value-added component to any community project. He believes partnerships are a marriage between local leaders knowing what is best for their communities and consultants who complement that knowledge to find the best overall solution for a community project. Mick’s enthusiasm for public projects is contagious and his knowledge of local government is extremely helpful. He is a registered landscape architect, park planner, and a master at building public consensus. Mick has served as President of both the Texas Recreation and Park Society and the Southwest Park and Recreation Training Institute. However, some of Mick’s greatest contributions have been at the Austin State Capital, as he has served as the TRAPS Legislative Chair for many years since. His biggest success came in the fall of 2019, when he played a pivotal role in giving Texas voters the opportunity to approve the constitutional dedication of Sporting Goods Sales Tax revenues to Texas Parks and Wildlife, resulting in a long-overdue win for our industry. All Texans will benefit from the work he put towards passing beneficial Parks and Recreation legislation for many years to come.
Individual Outstanding Service
Michael Valdez, nominated by the City of San Antonio
Of the hundreds of volunteers San Antonio Parks and Recreation engages, Michael Valdez is one of the most dedicated and reliable. A Senior at Edgewood Fine Arts STEAM Academy, Michael has made it a point to explore the field of public service through volunteer service. He currently serves on two city-focused boards as a youth representative and actively volunteers with the Department’s many volunteer programs and events. Recently, he joined the new Cemetery Steward Program where he is learning about headstone preservation and cleaning. He also attended the Outside for All event earlier this year as a youth panelist discussing equitable access to parks. He is frequently spotted at Department events engaging with the community and represents the parks and recreation field’s drive to introduce Parks and Recreation and public service as a career path for the next generation.
Recreation Facility Design
City of Southlake for “The Marq Southlake.”
The Marq Southlake is the City’s premier community recreation venue and the result of over 15 years of comprehensive planning. The approximately 107,000 square feet venue is the hub of fitness, family recreation, athletics, cultural festivities, senior services, and community events in Southlake. The Marq is the gathering place in the Southlake community where several generations of family, or society, come together in planned social and wellness spaces that promote a high standard of health, comfort, and happiness. The building organization provides individuals, families, and Southlake community groups with a place to be together, where light and energy collide in a masterpiece of architecture. Since opening its doors in 2015, and throughout each phase of construction, The Marq has been the destination of choice for creating life-long memories in Southlake.
Organizational/Volunteer Service Award
City of Round Rock – CPATH
CPATH, a local non-profit that provides personalized support in assisting families and individuals loving with cerebral palsy recognized a true need for competitive sport opportunities for individuals that use a powerchair. CPATH has a partnership with Round Rock Parks and Recreation for adaptive and inclusive programming support atiti power soccer team in Central Texas, the “Green Machines.” CPATH donates resources of time, funding, coaching support, fundraising and marketing, as well as connection to potential team members with the families they serve. While the Green Machines are at the beginning of their journey, with continued support from our community, the potential for these athletes is infinite.
City of Grapevine – Grapevine Rock Art Trail
Community Volunteers, Ron Olsen and Chris Penny, have devoted their time and energy to develop the Grapevine Rock Art Trail. Ron initiated the rock art trail as a positive response to the social isolation created by the COVID-19 Pandemic, painting the first ten rocks to put on the trail with his family. Chris Penny noticed the rocks and began painting and placing rocks with his wife and two daughters, but then solicited artists all over the world requesting that rocks be painted and mailed to him to be placed on the trail. Due to the unyielding work of Chris and Ron and all of the artists the Guinness World Record “Largest Display of Painted Pebbles/Stones” was officially achieved on Wednesday, September 8, 2021, with a confirmed 24,459 rocks. Thanks to the efforts of Chris and Ron and all of the artists around the world Grapevine has a nature trail that has been transformed into a beautiful display providing an opportunity for relaxation, family togetherness, and healing during a very difficult time for this world.
Park Development Innovations
The City of Austin – Walnut Creek Metro Park Playground Revitalization
The Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) recently installed the Department’s first nature play space in conjunction with a traditional playground replacement at Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park. Bond funding was earmarked for this site at the same time a grant opportunity with the St. David’s Foundation was announced, allowing PARD to leverage resources and support the Cities Connecting Children to Nature (CCCN) Initiative in the creation of the nature play installation alongside a traditional playground area thereby allowing community members to become more familiar with the concept of nature play. The features and programming activate the park with the City’s first ever nature play space, with the goal of increasing both the frequency of park visits and connection to nature.
Arts & Humanities
Class I
City of Frisco — “Fleeing to Frisco: How one Jewish family escaped Nazi Germany and rebuilt their lives in Frisco”
In effort to celebrate and highlight the diversity of the city, the Frisco Heritage Museum began seeking out stories which would reflect the changing population of Frisco. In January 2021, the museum was approached by a family with a story about a local cattle trader and his wife that quickly morphed into an amazing account of their life as Jews in Nazi Germany, how they escaped to America and rebuilt their life in Frisco, Texas. The museum partnered with the Heritage Association of Frisco to create an exhibit which garnered not only local attention but national and international interest, bringing in thousands of visitors. Museum staff and Heritage Association of Frisco volunteers worked with scholars, historians, archivists, museum personnel, and Jewish rabbis and synagogues in numerous states as well as in Germany and Israel to fully learn the story of the Wollenreichs.
Class II
Round Rock- “Juneteenth Festival”
The City of Round Rock Parks and Recreation in partnership with the non-profit group The Voice Inc. hosts a free annual Round Rock Juneteenth Festival at Old Settlers Park that includes BBQ Cookoff, Games, Vendors, and live concerts. This event celebrates African American freedom while encouraging self-development and respect for all cultures. The Round Rock Juneteenth Festival is one of the largest department special events and has grown to huge attendance numbers throughout the years! Over the 12 years, this event has grown from five hundred participants to now more than 30,000 across Central Texas, featuring superstar performers from across the nation.
Class III
City of Grapevine – “Mystery in the Park”
Mystery in the Park is an interactive and immersive fine arts cultural event located at the Grapevine Botanical Gardens designed to be a true inclusive program for all ages. The inception of this program stemmed from a community input survey that identified a growing need for opportunities geared towards performing arts. Over the course of two days, Mystery in the Park offered a crime-solving, traveling theatre experience throughout the botanical gardens. Attendees began their evening with food and beverage from local vendors and then travel throughout the gardens with their designated group to uncover “who done it?!”
Class IV
Laurel Ridge Specialized Therapeutic Services – “Sights and Sounds”
Sights and Sounds was a collaborative event hosted by Specialized Therapeutic Services (STS). This event used music and recreation to create a worldly and cultural experience for the patients at Laurel Ridge Treatment Center. Six stations were prepared to focus on a specific continent, country or culture consisting of music with movement, cognition, and leisure based interventions. Patients were encouraged to utilize positive risk taking to explore new and various cultures that they had little to no knowledge of or experience with which ties into their treatment provided at Laurel Ridge. STS attributes the success of the program to the staff support and collaborative efforts of Director of STS, Natali Trevino; Marketing and Business Director, Terry Buford; Director of Dietary, Arthur Mayo; CFO, Christopher Barela; and CEO, Jacob Cuellar.
Promotional & Marketing Excellence
Class I
City of San Antonio
The San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department unveiled a new member of the team this year, a native Texas Red Oak tree mascot named Parker! Parker’s sole purpose is to build the brand of the Department by positively engaging with the public, spreading the mission of San Antonio’s Parks and Recreation Department, promoting recreational opportunities, and creating memorable experiences for all that interact with the mascot. Parker has visited community centers during seasonal camps, attended sports events to cheer on leagues, handed out trees at tree adoption events, supported volunteer efforts, and promoted park and trail etiquette with public service announcements. Parker’s friendly smile and playful personality quickly earned a top ranking among San Antonio mascots within the first year the mascot was introduced.
Class II
City of Allen
The Discover Life in Allen campaign invited residents to return to pre-pandemic life a7er the agency saw a decrease in memberships and low facility usage a7er 2020. This membership campaign, coupled with an opportunity to communicate the vast amenity listings offered within the sixty-six parks and facilities in Allen, presented Allen Parks and Recreation in new creative ways, all themed around “the return.” Discover Life in Allen communicated the “wish you were here” sentiment a traveler may share on the back of a postcard to a loved one. Each facility and destination park received a custom graphic header on the website, pop up features that led to elevated engagement, pop-up events leading to membership renewals and new sign ups, social media reels increasing engagement and awareness, video interviews of passionate members rallying around their favorite facility and even a set of 12 commemorative postcards all new members received as an appreciation for discovering all that Allen has to offer.
Class III
City of Grapevine
Texas experienced a series of winter storms in February 2021, causing a widespread power grid failure, leaving millions without power. Emergency management and crisis communication are so important during natural disasters because the public needs to stay informed. With technology becoming increasingly accessible and widespread, the Grapevine Parks and Recreation department has taken advantage of social media and call/ text programs to disseminate information. By incorporating social media into the City’s crisis communication plan and utilizing tools and technology for multi-channel communications, Grapevine was able to meet citizens needs and keep them informed along the way.
Class IV
City of Farmers Branch
The Bloomin’ Bluegrass Festival in Farmers Branch, TX, is a two-day outdoor bluegrass extravaganza in the eclectic Farmers Branch Historical Park. The two-stage bluegrass palooza featuring traditional and progressive bluegrass, along with offerings of Americana and country sounds. The luscious green meadow of the park is transformed into the Main Stage featuring the top bluegrass artists in the nation. The meadow also features the Marketplace, which is filled with artisans selling handcra7ed and homemade items. Along the red brick path of the park, there is a grassy space featuring the Grassroots Stage. Adding to the sounds of bluegrass music throughout the park are impromptu Jam Sessions- musical playings from event attendees. The festival also featured some of the top concessionaires in the area.
Class V
City of Mont Belvieu
In 2020, some tough decisions had to be made during the pandemic and the City’s usual slate of holiday festivities including a canceled popular Christmas on The Hill Parade put on by the City of Mont Belvieu’s Parks and Recreation Department. What do you do when the most popular community event of the year, not to mention the highlight of the City’s Christmas season celebrations is cancelled because of a global pandemic? You ease the disappointment by shi7ing the blame to the holiday season’s meanest baddie – The Grinch. The Communications and Marketing Department created a Grinch-centric Seuss-style story to post on social media outlets to break the news of the cancelation and highlight the other socially distanced Christmas festivities that the city was hosting historically less popular events. The uniqueness of the post allowed negative news to have a softer blow leading to less disappointed residents and in turn driving the community to other events.
Lone Star Recreation Programming Achievement
Class II
City of Round Rock Parks and Recreation — “Yonders Point – Friday Fun Nights”
Friday Fun Nights at Yonders Point is a new event series that allowed the City of Round Rock to program the new “Park within a Park” in Old Settlers Park. Yonders Point is a beautiful space built for reflection and passive recreation, distinct from the mostly active recreation found in Old Settlers Park. Stemming from the shut down due to Covid-19 the area includes pergolas, artwork, bench swings, hammock grove, terraced landscape with unique wooden loungers, and an amazing view of Bright Lake. Highlighting the different uses for Yonders Point, this event series was created including themed nights that offered a variety of activities reaching the entire community base of Round Rock and beyond. The Yonders Point Fun Friday Night event series helped to aid in the City’s strategic goal of “being a great community to live in.”
Class III
City of Missouri City — “Outdoor Explorers Camp”
Packed with fun, adventure and learning, the Outdoor Explorers Camp inspired a sense of love and wonder for the great outdoors. During this week-long camp, participants ages 10 – 14 enjoyed activities such as kayaking, archery, fishing, and camping. Between adventures, campers also learned about native snakes, gardening, insects and pollinators, and outdoor survival skills. This program provided an opportunity for youth in our community to feel at home in nature, gain self-confidence, and learn a variety of new skills.
Class IV
City of Southlake – “National Senior Center Parade/Developing & Expanding & Community Relations”
The Southlake Senior Activity Center has worked hard to build the bridge between our seniors and younger generations by providing community volunteer opportunities through special events and programs. The increased isolation felt by seniors due to the pandemic and the closing of the Southlake Senior Activity Center spawned the creation of the National Senior Center Parade in September. The creative Parade invited Southlake community members to celebrate their Senior Center members in true Southlake fashion, inclusive of COVID 19 safely measures. Despite challenges presented by the pandemic, the City of Southlake celebrated together, served their senior community, brought different generations together, and made priceless memories.
Class V
Laurel Ridge Specialized Therapeutic Services – “Marvel Live Clue”
Each year during the month of October at Laurel Ridge Treatment Center (LTRC), the Specialized Therapeutic Services (STS) department provides a special event based on bringing the board game Clue to life! This hospital-wide event, adopting a Marvel Comic them this year, provided for each population, including children, adolescents, adults, active duty, and retired military members. Live Clue promotes holistic health benefits including meaningful social interactions, increasing positive moods, and using teamwork among each unit of patients.
Gold Medal
Class II
City of Garland
In Fall 2018, Garland residents and the City Council embarked on the most significant infrastructure investment in its history, a $423 million ballot initiative, $117 million of the bond package allocated to Parks & Recreation! The city then completed its largest most comprehensive Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Strategic Master Plan in more than 20 years. Also, for the first time in its history, City of Garland initiated Trails and Bikeways Master Plan, Cultural Arts Master Plan, Aquatics Master Plan, Downtown Redevelopment Plan and a Convention and Visitor’s Bureau tourism assessment during this same timeframe. With City Council and public support for improving the parks and recreation system, staff continued to seek out other funding opportunities leveraging the newly allocated bond funds, securing an additional $11.5 million in funding. During this renaissance time, the Garland Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts (PRCAD) staff launched multiple efforts to update maintenance standards, request and acquire much needed equipment and operational funds, improve marketing, grow access to the visual and performing arts, as well as introduce new and improved programs and events.
Class III
The City of Missouri City
Missouri City is a CAPRA accredited agency dedicated to operating under best practices and providing programs and places that excite its residents, and visitors. Missouri City’s parks system consists of twenty-two parks and facilities consisting of 511 acres of developed parkland and has set aside an additional 538.4 acres of undeveloped parkland for future expansion, which illustrates the City’s foresight for future growth. Over the last three years, 128.5 acres have been acquired by the city for park development and natural resource preservation. From 2018-2020, more than 2,200 trees were planted; and forestry volunteer hours totaled over 2,100. Over one hundred unique recreational programs and events are offered for all ages and activity levels. An exceptional department staff serves the Missouri City community with operating expenses and staff per capita less than half the national average.
Jerry D. Garrett Young Professional Award
Tori Thibodeaux
Tori Thibodeaux, member of TRAPS since 2009, has shown outstanding professional development and ambition in the field of Parks and Recreation while leading with a servant heart for TRAPS and City of Allen. Currently, Tori’s passion for continued education rings true as she serves as the TRAPS Institute Education Chair. Within Allen Parks and Recreation, Tori serves as the Volunteer and Training Coordinator, bringing unparalleled energy and enthusiasm to do incredible work for the betterment of Allen, citywide. As a champion for Therapeutic Recreation, Tori has been a trail blazer for the advancement of Recreation Therapy, working on standards and legislation, forming groups like Texas CTRS Network and constantly seeking out ways to successfully implement Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in her many circles of influence.