The Fargo Park District is proud to announce several North Dakota Recreation and Park Association (NDRPA) award recipients:
- 2022 NDRPA Outstanding Young Professional Award – Randi Litchy, Recreation Supervisor
- 2022 NDRPA Golden Egg Award – Broadway Square
- 2022 NDRPA Citizen Advocacy Award – Dr. Joe Deutsch, Fargo Park Board Commissioner and NDSU Professor
The recipients were announced at an awards ceremony during the annual NDRPA state conference in Minot on September 14, 2022. Each year, NDRPA recognizes the excellence of parks and recreation professionals, organizations and projects across the state of North Dakota through seven different award categories.
“We are extremely proud of every single one of the Fargo Park District employees and elected officials who work tirelessly to serve our community and uphold our mission,” said Fargo Park District Executive Director Dave Leker. “We are especially proud of this year’s award recipients and thankful to the North Dakota Recreation and Park Association for recognizing their contributions.”
Randi Litchy, Recreation Supervisor, is the 2022 recipient of the Outstanding Young Professional Award which honors professional members of NDRPA who have less than 10 years of experience and are age 35 or younger. Nominees must show leadership skills through involvement in local associations, advocacy efforts, community outreach, holding elected positions within a local organization and volunteer opportunities. As Recreation Supervisor, Litchy directs a diverse list of Fargo Parks’ programs, serves on the NDRPA Education Committee and volunteers year around in the community. Litchy joins a robust group of past recipients dating back to 1996.
Broadway Square received the 2022 Golden Egg Award. This award was established in honor of former Fargo Park District Superintendent Bob “Goose” Johnson and recognizes outstanding and innovative park projects across North Dakota. The Golden Egg Award aims to recognize and promote projects that exemplify uniqueness and creativity and display a high degree of design quality for recreational use. Broadway Square’s unique public- private partnership has brought a total of 420,000 visitors to the corner of Broadway and 2nd Avenue in its two years of operation through innovative programming and collaborations with the community. Broadway Square, a community gathering space for the public in the heart of Downtown Fargo, is owned by the Block 9 Partners (Kilbourne Group, R.D. Offutt and the City of Fargo) and managed by the Fargo Park District.
Fargo Park Board Commissioner, Dr. Joe Deutsch is the 2022 recipient of the Citizen Advocacy Award. This award recognizes a citizen, elected or appointed official or volunteer who has demonstrated outstanding contribution to the park, recreation and conservation movement through education and activating the public in their community, state or at the national level. As a professor in physical education and coaching at North Dakota State University, Deutsch has worked with students and the Fargo Park District to provide employment opportunities for his students and highly skilled employees for the Park District. Throughout his years he has played a pivotal role in major projects for the district including Broadway Square and the new sports complex under construction in south Fargo. Deutsch was re-elected for his fifth term on the Fargo Park Board in June of 2022. He originally joined the board in 2006.
The North Dakota Recreation and Park Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization whose mission is advancing parks, recreation and conservation for an enhanced quality of life in North Dakota. The organization was established in 1983 and has recognized North Dakota recreation and park employees and projects through annual awards for more than 35 years.
