Michael Clark (left), Director of Roanoke Parks and Recreation, accepts re-accreditation award at NRPA conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Roanoke Parks and Recreation has maintained its ranking with elite park and recreation agencies across the country by earning re-accreditation through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). This distinguished accomplishment was awarded during the 2018 NRPA Annual Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.
CAPRA accreditation is the only national accreditation for park and recreation agencies and is a measure of an agency’s overall quality of operation, management and service to the community. This mark of distinction indicates that an agency has met rigorous standards related to the management and administration of lands, facilities, resources, programs, safety, and services.
As part of the re-accreditation process, Roanoke Parks and Recreation had to demonstrate compliance with 151 recognized standards and document all policies and procedures. Often the process helps identify efficiencies and heighten areas of accountability, all of which translate into higher quality service and operation to benefit the community.
“I’m incredibly proud of this department and the more than 200 employees who commit themselves every day to making Roanoke more livable,” Michael Clark, Director of Roanoke Parks and Recreation, said of the accomplishment. “It’s through their passion and dedication to the field that we’re able to operate as a best practices agency.”
The process for accreditation involves a formal application, self-assessments, a site visit by a team of trained visitors that results in a written report, and a hearing with the commission to grant accreditation. Once accredited, the agency must uphold the standards by submitting an annual report and is reviewed again in five years.
The Commission is comprised of representatives from NRPA, the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, the National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials, the International City/County Management Association, the Academy for Leisure Sciences, the Armed Forces Recreation Network and the Council of State Executive Directors.
For more information about CAPRA accreditation, visit www.nrpa.org/CAPRA.
