By Matt Mackinder
Clarkston News Editor

The Independence Township Department of Parks, Recreation and Seniors recently received the honor of Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) re-accreditation and was recognized by the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) for their high standards and best practices at a September conference in Phoenix.
CAPRA provides quality assurance and improvement of accredited park and recreation agencies throughout the United States by providing agencies with a management system of best practices. CAPRA is the only national accreditation of park and recreation agencies and is a valuable measure of an agency’s overall quality of operation, management, and service to the community. Achieving CAPRA accreditation is the best way to demonstrate that an agency and staff provide the community with the highest level of service.
The Independence Township team is one of only three in the state of Michigan and 192 in the country to be recognized with the accreditation.
According to an announcement from ITPRS Community Relations Coordinator Amy Laboissonniere, “there are multiple benefits of accreditation to both the Clarkston community and the department.”
“It first holds an agency accountable to the public and ensures responsiveness to meet their needs, as well as ensuring that all staff are providing quality customer service,” said Laboissonniere. “Ultimately, this proves to decision makers, stakeholders and the public that the agency is operating with the best practices of the profession. It also enhances department culture by creating an environment for regular review of operations, policies, and procedures, and promotes continual improvement throughout our department.
“The fun creators on staff make it look easy, but it’s no walk in the park. It’s been said many times over by residents and employees alike that the Parks, Recreation and Seniors Department gives Independence Township a quality of life unlike that of other communities.”
The department was first accredited in 2016. Re-accreditation was deferred in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so efforts resulted in the 2022 re-accreditation of the department and will happen again in 2027.

PHOTO: Pictured, from left, are ITPRS staff Amy Laboissonniere (community relations coordinator), Derek Smith (director), Larry Hess (park superintendent), Lisa Christensen (deputy director of recreation), Tim McNiel (recreation supervisor, Ann Bouchard (senior programmer), Jennifer Angus senior division supervisor), and Maddie Wozniak (recreation coordinator) in Phoenix in September. Photo: Caught in the Moment and NRPA