Willamalane Earns National Accreditation for Park and Recreation Agencies

This accreditation establishes the district’s long-term ability to serve the Springfield community.

SPRINGFIELD – Willamalane Park and Recreation District earned a national park and recreation accreditation that signifies an organization’s overall quality of operations, management, and service to the community are aligned to best practices set by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). Willamalane’s accreditation was finalized at the 2022 NRPA Annual Conference, the week of September 19.

For Willamalane, the CAPRA process required district staff to review and update all of the district’s processes, procedures, management practices, and community services standards. This process took two years to complete.

“While we are honored to receive a CAPRA accreditation, the process of reviewing, updating, and improving all of our practices will ensure that we can continue to deliver on our mission for our community. This process made us a stronger park and recreation agency and an even greater asset to Springfield. That’s the real victory here,” said Michael Wargo, Executive Director for Willamalane.

On this accomplishment, Springfield Mayor Sean VanGordon said, “This is an incredible achievement by Willamalane and well deserved. Willamalane’s dedication to serving Springfield contributes to our community of opportunity, and I’m proud of their efforts.”

CAPRA certification is the only national accreditation for park and recreation agencies. Across the United States, out of approximately 23,000 eligible organizations, there are a total of 199 agencies that are CAPRA accredited. This accounts for less than 1% of eligible park and recreation organizations. Once CAPRA certified, agencies must go through a required review each year and complete a comprehensive annual report to demonstrate how they are maintaining the standards. A reaccreditation process occurs every five years. This will ensure that Willamalane upholds these standards on a long-term basis. 

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