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Clarksville Parks Named 2019 IPRA Most “Outstanding Agency” in Indiana

Annual award recognizes the best parks agency in the state of Indiana.

CLARKSVILLE, IN (February 19, 2020) – Southern Indiana can now claim it is home to one of the best parks and recreation departments in the Hoosier state. The Clarksville Parks and Recreation was award the 2019 “Outstanding Agency Award” last week at the Indiana Parks and Recreation Association (IPRA) Conference in Muncie, Indiana.

According to IPRA, the Outstanding Agency Award identifies an exceptional IPRA agency who shows involvement and significant contributions to the parks and recreation field. This agency strives to improve the quality of life to both their community and to the state of Indiana. Every year, parks and recreation departments from across the state of Indiana submit self-nominations in hopes of claiming the award. Those nominations are then reviewed, and representatives from other state parks associations in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio select the winner. Only one winning agency is selected each year, and Clarksville Parks and Recreation was selected as the winner for 2019.

Making the timing of the award even more special for the Clarksville Parks staff, is that long-time Superintendent Brian Kaluzny recently announced that he would be retiring in April 2020. Kaluzny has been leading the department for more than 27 years, and is responsible for many of the parks and facilities that Clarksville residents enjoy today. The Clarksville Parks Board is hoping to continue the department’s recent success by recently voting to promote Assistant Superintendent BJ Nelson-Lynton to take over the department when Kaluzny’s retirement goes into effect.

To celebrate the award, the staff of the Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department staff will be recognized at the March 17, 2020 meeting of the Clarksville Town Council.


Pictured above:  Clarksville Parks staff receiving the award at the IPRA Conference.  Pictured left to right are: Communications Director Ken Conklin, Parks Board President Bill Wilson, Superintendent Brian Kaluzny, Asst. Superintendent BJ Nelson-Lynton, and Programming Director Nathan Kane.


Pictured above:  IPRA Outstanding Agency Award