Cleveland Metroparks CEO Brian Zimmerman, center, holding the National Gold Medal Award for excellence in park and recreation management. It was awarded Thursday in Saint Louis, Missouri, by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). Surrounding Zimmerman are members of the Metroparks' management team.

(Cleveland Metroparks)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Metroparks has won the prestigious 2016 National Gold Medal Award for excellence in Park and Recreation Management.

It was awarded Thursday by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA).

The medal is one of the highest professional awards available to parks and recreation agencies nationwide, and involves a stringent qualification and judging process.

This award is the fourth time the Cleveland Metroparks system has earned the award, and the first time under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Brian M. Zimmerman.

A news release from the park system said Zimmerman, a Wisconsin native, has been instrumental in initiating and executing several major initiatives, including the recently announced nearly $8 million TIGER grant aimed at reconnecting Cleveland.

Cleveland Metroparks saw its largest year of land acquisition since the 1960s under his stewardship: 635 acres in 2013. Zimmerman's leadership guided the acquisition of eight lakefront parks, including the opening of Rivergate Park in the heart of Cleveland's urban core in the Flats, and the 155-acre Acacia Reservation, a formerly private space in Lyndhurst that is now accessible to the public and continues to be restored to its natural state.

"This award validates that our vision, backed by our strategic plan, is on target," said Zimmerman. "We are focused on enhancing recreational opportunities and growing trail connections, especially in Cleveland's urban core. Accessibility is a guiding principle in everything we do."

The Gold Medal Award program honors communities in the U.S. that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development and agency recognition. Winners were announced at NRPA's annual conference in St. Louis, Missouri.

Cleveland Metroparks won the Class I category, the largest of five classes based on population served. The finalists in the category included BREC, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Johnson County Park and Recreation District, in Shawnee Mission, Kansas; and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, in Minnesota.

"This honor should be celebrated across the Cleveland Metroparks organization. While the award specifically calls out outstanding management, this achievement is the result of the collective hard work and passion of each and every park district employee," said Debbie Berry, president of Cleveland Metroparks Board of Commissioners.

This recognition comes as Cleveland Metroparks prepares to enter its centennial year.

The Metroparks previously won the medal in 1994, 2001 and 2007, and was a finalist last year.