Los Alamos County CSD Dept Nominated for NRPA Gold Medal Award

Published on April 30, 2025

The Community Services Department is a Gold Medal Finalist for the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) and American Academy of Parks and Recreation Administrators (AAPRA) Gold Medal Plaque. This award is the highest honor for an agency under these national organizations, and if awarded, Los Alamos County would be the only County within the state of New Mexico to hold this honor. Los Alamos County falls within Class V, with a population under 30,000 people. One Finalist agency in Class V will receive the highest award, the Grand Plaque. The Finalist and Grand Plaque Awards will be presented at the NRPA Annual Conference in September 2025.

Los Alamos County Community Services Director Cory Styron stated, “I am beyond excited for the department to be a finalist for the Gold Medal Award. This is a testament to our professional staff and their dedication to serving our community.”

The National Gold Medal Award honors public park and recreation agencies and state park systems throughout the United States and the United States Armed Forces recreation programs worldwide that demonstrate excellence in long-range planning, resource management, and innovative approaches to delivering superb park and recreation services with fiscally sound business practices.

Each application is independently judged by a panel of five park and recreation professionals selected by AAPRA based upon their management experience, size and type of agency, geographic location, and diversity. From the pool of applications, the judges select four agencies in one of the five population categories, the armed forces, and state parks, as a Finalist. The four Finalists in each category are announced at the end of April. The Finalist and Grand Plaque Awards are then presented at the NRPA Annual Park & Recreation Conference.

“Congratulations to Director Cory Styron and his Community Services Department on being a finalist for the NRPA Gold Medal Award! In Los Alamos County, the parks and recreational opportunities are exceptional and are so appreciated by residents. This award is well-deserved and recognizes the positive impact our Parks and Recreation staff have on our community every day!” stated Los Alamos County Deputy Manager Linda Matteson.

The Community Services Department recently received the Commission for Accreditation of Parks and Recreation Accreditation (CAPRA) with NPRA in October 2024.