Day 2 General Session

National Gold Medal Awards

Kicking off Wednesday, October 9 at 8:30 a.m. EDT will be the presentation of the 2024 National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. This premier award program is directed by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) and is presented in partnership with NRPA and sponsored by Musco Lighting LLC. Finalists in six categories will find out live if they will receive the prestigious National Gold Medal Grand Plaque Award. The presentation of the National Gold Medal Awards is an energizing and inspiring event and one you won’t want to miss.

We Are Essential: How Parks and Recreation Supports the Seven Dimensions of Well-Being 

Immediately following the presentation of the National Gold Medal Awards, an all-star panel of some of the top names in parks, recreation, environmental justice, urban studies, and community development will discuss the essential role parks and recreation has in supporting thriving communities through the seven dimensions of well-being.

Those who will participate in the panel include:

Manal Jane Aboelata, MPH, Managing Director, the California Endowment (Moderator)

As managing director for the California Endowment, Manal J. Aboelata is responsible for advancing inclusive community development strategies and supporting community-centered grantmaking. Previously, Aboelata served as Prevention Institute’s deputy executive director where she grew the organization’s statewide policy portfolio; led effective coalitions and alliances; deepened its health equity and racial justice capacity; founded its Los Angeles office; stewarded purchase of a building in historic Leimert Park; successfully raised funds; and directed regional, statewide, and national initiatives including People, Parks, and Power which regranted more than $7 million to 14 organizing and base-building groups across the United States and in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Aboelata writes and speaks on health equity and the built environment. Manal’s first book, Healing Neighborhoods, grew from her work advocating for equitable implementation of a public finance measure for parks and green space. She has co-authored chapters on community engagement in Building Strategic Skills for Better Health and in Making Healthy Places, wrote the foreword to Schools that Heal: Design with Mental Health in Mind, and co-authored C is for Capoeira. In 2024, Aboelata hosted a conversation with feminist Gloria Steinem for CalEndow Live.

Prof. Vivek Shandas, Professor, Portland State University

Vivek Shandas is a professor of geography at Portland State University and is the founder and current advisor to CAPA Strategies, a global consulting firm that supports community adaptation to a warming planet. His work aims to support the management of landscapes for public health, social justice, and economic prosperity. He has published more than 100 scientific journal articles and five books, some of which have been featured in The New York Times, Scientific American, The Guardian, National Public Radio, National Geographic, and dozens of other national and international media outlets. In 2023, he was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to serve on the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council. Prior to serving as a professor and consultant, he worked as a schoolteacher, policy analyst, landscape manager, and shoe salesman. During his spare time, he revels in the mountains and waters of the Pacific Northwest and pines for wood-fired pizza and picnic tables.

Akiima Price, Founder, Friends of Anacostia Park, Akiima Price Consulting

A creative thinker and doer who links people, places, and programs, Akiima Price is a nationally respected thought leader at the intersection of social justice and environmental issues. Her innovative Meaningful Park Engagement programming strategies feature nature as a powerful medium to connect economically stressed urban African American communities in positive life-changing experiences outdoors that affect how they feel about themselves, their communities, and their parks. From her early experience as a ranger with the National Park Service in 1993 to her international work with environmental, social and justice organizations, Price has cultivated more than 30 years of experience into cutting-edge best practices in trauma-informed, equitable environmentalism.

Norma E. García-González, Director, Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation

Norma E. García-González was appointed as director of the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation and the Los Angeles County Regional Parks and Open Space District on July 7, 2020. She is the first woman to serve in that capacity and executive role in the department since it was created in 1944. In her role as director, she is responsible for the department’s operations which include a $297 million budget, 2,686 employees, 6,477 registered volunteers, and asset management of 182 parks; 73,214 acres of parkland; more than 200 miles of trails with staging areas; six equestrian centers; 14 lakes, three of which are boating and swimming lakes; 475 sports amenities such as futsal, basketball, tennis, lawn bowling, and multipurpose fields; 36 swimming pools; 15 wildlife sanctuaries; and nine nature centers that serve as a refuge for more than 200 animals. She leads the department during emergencies and natural disasters where gyms, local parks, and regional facilities become shelters for residents and livestock, providing a safety net for communities throughout Los Angeles County.