Congratulations to The Springfield-Greene County Park Board on receiving full accreditation from the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies during the National Recreation and Park Association annual conference.

The Park Board is among only 155 CAPRA-accredited parks and recreation agencies in the United States, including 14 newly accredited this month. Less than two percent of parks and recreation agencies in the country are accredited. There are three other accredited agencies in Missouri: Chesterfield, Kansas City and Lee’s Summit.

The Park Board spent more than two years in the accreditation process, including extensive documentation of compliance with 151 national standards as well as a thorough site visit by CAPRA representatives in June. This is the first time the Park Board has achieved this accreditation, which will be renewed every five years.

The CAPRA accreditation team noted the Park Board’s 103-year history, its 2000 NRPA Gold Medal Award, its diverse and varied system, its leadership in sports tourism, its Community Olympic Development Programs, and above all, its community involvement and numerous partnerships as elements that stand out among peer agencies.

A celebration is planned in Springfield at a later date.

For more information on CAPRA, visit nrpa.org/CAPRA/.