Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks & Recreation Authority Executive Director George Page is being honored with a national award for his work with VLPRA.
 
The National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials is presenting Page with its 2019 Professional of the Year Award.  The honor is given to an exemplary professional currently employed in Parks & Recreation.  
 
Page recently led VLPRA in a public/private partnership to build the nation's largest Miracle Field at an Authority park. He collaborated with his board of directors and the Miracle League of Valdosta to plan and design a new complex which includes the Miracle Field, a boundless playground, and four standard fields.  This incorporated local elected leaders, school systems, and non-profit organizations that all worked together for the common goal.
 
Page has also championed the growth of youth athletics, introducing new leagues to the area like volleyball, and breaking enrollment records in almost all sports while transitioning to a school-based model.  Additionally, Page has fostered the growth of sports tourism through hosting dozens of sports tournaments each year.  VLPRA's facilitated tournaments resulted in more than 7,000 room nights and brought in well over $5 million in economic impact in the last calendar year alone and continue to grow.

“I’m humbled and honored to be selected for this award,” Page says.  “Our success as an agency is a result of a dedicated Board of Directors and a talented staff who work tirelessly to provide quality programs and facilities for our residents.”

Page will accept the award at the NACPRO Banquet in June.