Walt Bratton, CPRP, is currently the Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Green River, Wyoming. He has served in this position since 2005. Walt Bratton, CPRP, is currently the Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Green River, Wyoming. He has served in this position since 2005.
Walt has management experience working with several municipal parks and recreation agencies in Arizona, Kansas, California and Wyoming.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Parks and Recreation Management from Washington State University (Pullman, Washington), a Masters Degree in Parks and Recreation Administration from Arizona State University (Tempe, Arizona) and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Wichita State University (Wichita, Kansas).
He is active in the Commission for Accreditation of Parks and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) as a site visitor and has served as a chair/visitor on over 15 site visitation teams since 2000 in support of Agency Accreditation. He serves on the NRPA Program Committee (2008 to 2011) and is the Midwest Region representative on the American Park and Recreation Society (APRS) board of directors (2008 to 2012).
Walt has also taught parks and recreation curriculum at both the community college and university levels. Walt was awarded the prestigious 2007 Casper Star-Tribune statewide 40 Under Forty Award for the Top Business Professionals in the state of Wyoming under the age of 40 in 2007. He has been a Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) since 1993.
Walt has been an active member of numerous parks and recreation professional associations, to include:
In 2000 he was the recipient of the NRPA – Pacific Southwest Region “Young Professional of the Year Award”. In 2000 he was awarded both the American Park and Recreation Society (APRS) “Young Professional of the Year Award” and the NRPA – “Robert W. Crawford Young Professional Award”.
Walt was a member of the graduating charter class for the 2008-2009 NRPA Director’s School held at the Oglebay Training Institute in Wheeling, West Virginia. In April 2010 he was awarded the NRPA Midwest Region Distinguished Fellow Award. Walt was inducted into the American Academy of Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) with the class of 2009. He looks forward to serving and giving back to the profession on Academy initiatives and programs in support of the parks and recreation movement. [updated 5/10]