Parks & Recreation recognized during district banquet

Forsyth County Parks & Recreation received the Georgia Recreation and Park Association (GRPA) District 7 Agency of the Year Award during the District 7 banquet on Wednesday, October 26. The award was presented to three population groups within the district, with Forsyth County falling into the largest population category – 50,001 and over.

“The annual District 7 banquet celebrates and recognizes our region, which also includes 39 other recreation and park agencies,” said Parks & Recreation Marketing and Community Relations Manager Laura Pate.

The agency of the year award identifies the outstanding efforts of recreation and park agencies across the seventh district. Nominees are judged on staff development, budgeting and resources, facilities offered, use of technology, outstanding programs and major accomplishments.

For Forsyth County Parks & Recreation, some of the highlights presented in the nomination included the strong emphasis the department places on specialized training and professional development for staff, the new, easy to navigate website – www.forsythco.com/parks, the use of an online registration system and a social media presence through a collaboration with the Forsyth County government Department of Communications – www.facebook.com/ForsythCountyGovernment. Two of the major accomplishments included in the nomination were the opening of Phase III of Sawnee Mountain Preserve and Matt Community Park at Settingdown Creek.  

“I am so proud of the outstanding efforts made by our staff to make this award possible and sincerely appreciative of the continuous support our system receives from the Board of Commissioners and Parks & Recreation Board,” Parks & Recreation Director Jim Pryor said. “Forsyth County was recognized in part for its citizens’ continued participation and interest in a thriving park and recreation program, for which we are very grateful.”

About GRPA: The Georgia Recreation and Park Association was formed in 1945 as a private, non-profit institution to support and promote the recreation and park industries within the state of Georgia.