Mansfield parks finalist for national award

The City of Mansfield has been named as a finalist for the 2025 National Gold Medal Award, a prestigious national honor given by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) for overall excellence in the park and recreation field.

“This is a remarkable accomplishment not only for Mansfield Park and Recreation, but for our residents,” said Matt Young, executive director of community services. “Mansfield residents have long been our biggest fans, but now they can now proudly say their parks, facilities and trails really are among the best of the best.”

Mansfield Parks and Recreation is one of only four finalists nationwide in the Class III category, which represents cities with populations between 75,001–150,000. All finalists will complete additional rounds of judging this summer, with Grand Plaque recipients announced during the 2025 NRPA Conference in Orlando, Fla., in September.

Founded in 1965, the Gold Medal Awards program honors communities in the United States that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development and community engagement.

Since 1960, Mansfield Parks and Recreation has provided award-winning parks and programs for the residents and visitors of the fast-growing city in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Now encompassing over 1,200 acres, 31 parks and facilities, and nearly 85 employees, the department’s commitment to world-class service and exceeding expectations has only strengthened as the city and its needs have grown. Mansfield Parks and Recreation has earned the Texas Recreation and Park Society’s Gold Medal five times, most recently in 2024, and is also CAPRA Accredited, a designation recognizing overall organizational and operational excellence achieved by less than 2% of agencies nationwide.

“A few years ago, our team collectively created a vision statement that has become a guiding light for every aspect of our decision-making process,” Young said. “Each and every one of us are here to inspire Mansfield residents to gather, grow, preserve and play through welcoming spaces and remarkable experiences. Everything we do, whether big-picture strategic planning or simple, daily tasks, is shaped by that mandate, and that community-centered approach has steered us toward success, time and again.”

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