Ohio Parks and Recreation Association is pleased to announce the winners of the 2017 outstanding leadership awards. Parks and recreation professionals and citizens were nominated by parks and recreation professionals from around the state for these awards.
“These individuals really represent some of the best in parks and recreation, past, present and future,” said OPRA Executive Director Woody Woodward. “Each of these winners understands the vital role that parks and recreation plays in establishing and maintaining community and building quality of life.”
John O’Meara is the 2017 inductee into the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association Hall of Fame. Most recently, O’Meara served as Executive Director for Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks. During his 16 years at the helm, Metro Parks more than doubled in both size and attendance and became the state’s largest metro park system. Five parks were opened and thousands of acres of prairies and wetlands were restored. O’Meara also served as Director of Geauga Park District and as the Scenic River Coordinator for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources during his 35 year career. His quest for parkland reflects on his passion for conservation and the protection of habitat and his belief that green space and parks make a significant contribution to our quality of life.
The 2017 OPRA Professional of the Year is Tony Collins, Director of the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department. Under Collins’ leadership, the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department has continued to grow and thrive, becoming one the leading urban recreation departments in the Midwest. Collins has immersed himself in the Columbus community, serving in various capacities throughout the city. Formerly the director at the City of Gahanna, Collins has also been instrumental in the turnaround at OPRA, serving as OPRA Board President and as President of the Board for the OPRA Foundation.
Kevin Haver of Johnny Appleseed Metro Park District is the 2017 Harvey Woods Lifetime Achievement Award winner. Haver has faithfully served the citizens of Allen County with the Johnny Appleseed Metro Park District for more than 40 years. Haver has served in virtually every role within the park district since he was hired in April of 1978 and was named to executive director in 1984 and continues to serve in that capacity to this day. During his time as director, he has led the district’s growth from one park with 30 acres to 14 parks with over 1,400 acres. Haver not only faithfully serves the Park District but also serves on various Boards in the community and is a past member of the OPRA Board of Directors.
Anzora Adkins of the Cincinnati Recreation Commission is the 2017 Citizen of the Year. For 48 years, Adkins has been invested in her community of Evanston near the Downtown Cincinnati core. She serves as chair of the King Experiential Center, is the Coordinator of the Evanston Employment Resource Connections and was instrumental in the 2009 remodeling of the Cincinnati Recreation Commission’s Evanston Center and the construction of a new aquatics area. Last summer, she promoted the building of the CRC Outdoor Evanston Playscape, a playground emphasizing children’s learning from nature, benefiting their overall physical and mental health. A strong advocate for recreation, she believes it is her calling to be of service to others.
The Jack Hanna Resource Conservation Award winner is Denis Franklin of Metroparks Toledo. Franklin has a long history in the area of conservation and outdoor recreation. He is a dedicated, self-motivated leader with more than 30 years of service to the Ohio Division of Wildlife at Magee Marsh and currently in his role as a Natural Resources Supervisor with Metroparks Toledo. Always striving for success, Franklin has served the community as a steadfast leader of wetland restoration and management, and this is exemplified most recently in his work on the Howard Marsh project. Career highlights include restorations at Metzger Marsh, Mallard Club, and Magee Marsh.
Our 2017 Youth Sports Coach of the Year is Mark Coyer of the City of Groveport. Coyer is a cornerstone of the Groveport Recreation Department youth soccer program, volunteering his time to train and mentor league officials, lead preseason skills clinics, and coach when necessary. This year, he accepted the varsity coaching position for the high school soccer team, but he has still volunteered for all of these tasks in the community program, while also working as an official for a U10 Girls Division each weekend. When needed, he recruits players from his high school team to officiate, giving many of them their first opportunity to hold a job and gaining valuable life skills like responsibility, decision-making and leadership.
The 2017 winner of the Outstanding Youth Leadership Award is Ellie Leonard of Metroparks Toledo. Leonard made history by finalizing the first-ever nationally recognized commemorative Girl Scout hiking trail dedicated to Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of Girl Scouts. She also earned her Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can receive. The trail is particularly special because Toledo was the first registered Girl Scout council in the U.S. Almost 500 people came to support the dedication of the trail. Leonard believes strongly in creating opportunities for everyone to experience the outdoors. Even though the project is complete, she has plans to enhance the accessibility through the installation of benches and other amenities. Leonard is a graduate of Sylvania Southview High School and a current student at the University of New Hampshire.
These awards will be presented at the annual OPRA Awards Dinner on January 30 at the Kalahari Conference Center.