News Corey K. Wilson Elected to the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration

Baton Rouge, LouisianaOct 14, 2024Corey K. Wilson, Superintendent of BREC in East Baton Rouge Parish, has been elected as a Fellow into the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA). Wilson was recently inducted at the Academy’s General Membership Meeting October 9, 2024.  

 The Academy is an organization of distinguished practitioners and educators who are leaders in the parks and recreation profession. To be elected into the Academy, the individual must have served for at least 15 years in a high level of administration in a park and recreation agency or as a recognized educator in parks and recreation administration or they must manage a park and recreation department for a community with a population of more than 500,000. They also must have demonstrated outstanding leadership in professional organizations through service, writing or speaking and they must have displayed a deep interest in advancing public parks and recreation. The Academy is limited to 137 active members. 

 Established in 1980, the Academy was formed to advance knowledge related to the administration of recreation and parks; to support and encourage scholarly efforts by both practitioners and educators to enhance the practice of park and recreation administration; to promote broader public understanding of the importance of parks and recreation to the public good; and to conduct research, publish scholarly papers and/or sponsor seminars related to the advancement of park and recreation administration. 

 Wilson joined the parks and recreation industry when he started as BREC’s first Chief of Management and Business Services in 2012. He was later promoted to Superintendent in January 2019 after the former Superintendent retired. He led the parish-wide park district through a global pandemic in 2020 and a National Gold Medal Award later, when BREC was recognized as the number one large park system in the nation in 2022 by AAPRA. Wilson is very invested and known in the parks and recreation industry and credits his experiences at a local park for help shaping his life.  He also serves on the Board of Directors for City Parks Alliance; he is an instructor with the National Recreation and Park Association’s (NRPA) Directors School; and he serves as a accreditation volunteer for the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA), the agency from which BREC hold its accreditation, making BREC among the top 2% of park agencies to hold the distinguished accreditation.

 “The Class of 2024 is a great addition to the Academy,” said President Tracey Crawford, Executive Director, Northwest Special Recreation District, Rolling Meadows, Illinois.  “The Academy is honored to induct Corey Wilson into its ranks.  The Academy represents a diverse group of professionals and educators – all with superior career experience and a dedication to improving the quality of life through the provision of high-quality parks and recreation opportunities. We welcome Corey as a member of the American Academy for Park & Recreation Administration.”