Boasting over 50 parks facilities on more than 18,000 acres of greenspace throughout the county, Westchester County Parks has, for the fifth time, earned the distinction of being accredited by the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA), County Executive George Latimer announced.
County Executive George Latimer said: “This national accreditation by the NRPA is the highest honor that can be bestowed on a parks system and sets it apart from thousands of other parks systems throughout the nation. We all may think that we have one of the best parks systems in the country, but this national recognition proves it! I am extremely proud of Commissioner O’Connor and her team of professionals in the parks department. And, I am confident that they will continue their mission of providing the best recreational facilities, programs and services for the residents of Westchester.”
Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins said: “Our parks are vital to Westchester’s residents. They provide green spaces for recreation, exercise and relaxation. They also promote environmental conservation and foster community connections. We are extremely proud to have been accredited once again by the NRPA.”
The announcement was made October 9 at NRPA’s annual conference that was held in Atlanta.
According to Latimer, Westchester’s parks system was the first county in New York State to receive this distinction when it received accreditation the first time around in 2003. It is the only agency in the state to become accredited. Nationally, the parks system is a member of an elite group of 71 agencies that have been accredited since the program was introduced by NRPA in 1994.
He explained that the goal of the national accreditation program is to create a nationwide system of standards that would allow parks and recreation agencies to compare their practices to what is considered a professional model, to measure their delivery of recreational services, and to identify their effectiveness and efficiency in meeting the interests and needs of their constituents. Once accredited, an agency is expected to maintain these high standards and continue to improve on them over the next five years when it must apply for accreditation once again.
Westchester County Parks Commissioner O’Connor said: “We will continue to provide the best in parks services to our residents by measuring and comparing our standards as outlined by NRPA. The process and outcome is worth the effort to provide the finest we can to those who enjoy our magnificent parks system.”
Last year, an application for re-accreditation was submitted to the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA), which comprises representatives from NRPA, the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, and the National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials.
Once the application was accepted, a special committee of parks administrative and field staff was appointed to conduct the comprehensive self-assessment report. During a rigorous one-year process, the committee conducted an extensive review of parks systems during which they provided narrative and documentation for 154 standards in ten major categories: Agency Authority, Role and Responsibility; Planning; Organization and Administration; Human Resources; Finance; Program and Services Management; Facility and Land Use Management; Safety & Security; Risk Management; and Evaluation and Research.
Once completed, the self-assessment report was presented to CAPRA for a preliminary review last April, and was then followed up in May by a team of certified park and recreation professionals and experienced citizen board members from all over the country. During that time, they reviewed all of the documentation that had been submitted to meet each of the standards, then met via Zoom and talked with parks staff as they provided presentations of our parks facilities throughout the county.
O’Connor noted that the team was extremely positive in their preliminary feedback. “Not only were they very impressed by the scope and breadth of our facilities and services, but they were equally impressed by what they said was the pride, morale and dedication displayed by the staff members that they came in contact with during their visit,” she said.
For more information about the National Recreation and Parks Association and the accreditation process, visit www.nrpa.org.
The Westchester County parks system features six championship golf courses, two pools and aquatic playgrounds, two beaches, new cricket fields and pickleball courts, a first-rate sports/performance/civic arena, two interpretive working farms, an arboretum and glass house conservatory, six nature centers, three major multi-use trailway systems and miles of hiking trails throughout the county. Recreational and nature interpretive programs are offered on weekends throughout the year, along with a variety of children’s summer camps. For complete information, go to parks.westchestergov.com.
