Dearborn's Recreation & Parks Department Earns Elite Designation

Mayor John B. O’Reilly Jr. (front row, center)) congratulated the Dearborn Recreation and Parks Department for earning reaccreditation from the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA). He was joined by (front row, from left) Mark Guido, chief of staff for the City of Dearborn; Teresa Graves (co-project leader); and Greg Orner, director of Recreation and Parks. Also in the photo is Eric Peterson, deputy director of Recreation and Parks (second row, left.) (City of Dearborn photo).

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Dearborn’s Recreation & Parks Department remains among the elite agencies across the country by earning reaccreditation through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA).

This distinguished accomplishment was announced during the recent 2014 NRPA Congress and Exposition in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“We are both pleased and pround of this achievement,” said Dearborn Director of Recreation & Parks, Greg Orner.

CAPRA accreditation is the only national accreditation for park and recreation agencies, and is a measure of an agency’s overall quality of operation, management and service to the community. This mark of distinction indicates that an agency has met rigorous standards related to the management and administration of lands, facilities, resources, programs, safety and services.

Dearborn’s Recreation & Parks Department first earned accreditation in 2009.

As part of the reaccreditation process, the department’s performance was measured against 156 national standards, representing elements of effective park and recreation operations.

“This process helps us identify efficiencies and heighten areas of accountability, all of which translate into a higher quality of service and operation,” said Orner.

To earn reaccreditation, the department had to demonstrate compliance with 35 standards deemed fundamental to a quality agency and at least 91 of the remaining 109 standards, and the department exceeded both benchmarks.

“Many members of our staff worked long and hard on this project,” said Orner.

“Our project leaders, Teresa Graves and Georgette Doro, and our section leaders—Lori Bagley, Erica Lyght, Holly Malewski, Lee Morris, Lori O’Leary, Eric Peterson, Teddy Shaskos, Gail Snelling, Kirk Young, Martin Zbosnik—did a great job.”

For more information about CAPRA accreditation, visit www.nrpa.org/CAPRA