Round Rock Parks And Rec Director Gains Prestigious Post

ROUND ROCK, TX — The city's parks and recreation director, Rick Atkins, is poised to be inducted as a member of the prestigious American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration at the annual National Recreation and Park Association annual conference in September, officials announced on Tuesday.

Once inducted, Atkins will be among rarefied ranks as a member of an elite group nationwide of only 125 members and one of only 20 members in the State of Texas so honored.

The Academy and its members are a group of distinguished practitioners and educators who are leaders in the field of park and recreation, city officials explained. To gain membership, members must have served for at least 15 years in a high level of administration in a park and recreation agency or as a recognized educator in parks and recreation administration; or they must be a political appointee who manages a park and recreation department for an agency with a population of more than 500,000.

Those inducted also must have demonstrated outstanding ability in administration, management or education in the profession; displayed broad interest with a direct service benefit to the advancement of public parks and recreation or assumed leadership roles with a keen desire to contribute to the advancement of the field, according to a city advisory.

“I’m honored to be selected to join this prestigious group of members and help promote and advance park and recreation initiatives on a national scale,” Atkins said in a prepared statement. “To be selected to this prestigious organization reflects my team’s dedication to parks and recreation excellence in serving our residents right here in Round Rock, Texas.”

About AAPRA

AAPRA was established in 1980, and the Academy was formed to advance knowledge related to the administration of recreation and parks; encourage scholarly efforts by both practitioners and educators to enhance the practice of park and recreation administration; promote broader public understanding of the importance of parks and recreation to the public good; and conduct research, publish scholarly papers and/or sponsor seminars related to the advancement of park and recreation administration.