Gainesville man receives regional parks and recreation award

GAINESVILLE - A Gainesville man says he was &#34;totally surprised&#34; to receive a prestigious award from a regional parks and recreation group.<br> <br> Charles Musselwhite is a former chairman of the Gainesville Parks and Recreation Board and served on the board for 11 years.<br> <br> Musselwhite recently received the Chester W. Freeman Citizen Award from the Southern Regional Council of the National Recreation and Park Association.<br> <br> He was recognized for his &#34;distinguished service and outstanding contributions&#34; in support of the park and recreation field at the local, state, regional and national level.<br> <br> City park and recreation officials say Musselwhite was instrumental in the success of a number of projects, such as renovations to City Park Stadium and Rock Creek Greenway and has been &#34;invaluable&#34; in keeping the vision of a Frances Meadows Community Center and Aquatic Facility for the community alive. He also played &#34;an important role&#34; in Gainesville Parks and Recreation receiving National Accreditation in 2000 and Re-Accreditation in 2005.<br> <br> Musselwhite was a member of the Georgia Recreation and Park Association's Public Policy Committee for ten years, a Citizen Trustee on the Georgia Recreation and Park Association Board of Directors, a Citizen Representative on the National Parks and Recreation's Southern Regional Council, and a Citizen Representation from Georgia to the Citizen Board Section of the National Recreation and Park Association. <br> <br> "Not only did the citizens of Gainesville and the state of Georgia, benefit from his knowledge, abilities and untiring devotion to his advocacy for parks and recreation, but the southeast region did as well. He understood the "bigger" picture and brought that, along with a great deal of passion, to his role as an advocate for the field of Parks and Recreation." said J. Melvin Cooper, Director of Gainesville Parks and Recreation. <br> <br> Tom Martin, Executive Director of the Georgia Recreation and Park Association added, " Charlie was extremely effective in communicating Gainesville's and Georgia's issues and needs to state and local officials and extremely deserving of this prestigious award."<br> <br> Musselwhite, a retired educator, said Tuesday it was his &#34;compassion&#34; for the work that led to his long tenure on the parks and recreation board, and a sense of wanting to pay the department back, noting that his children were active in parks and recreation programs while they were growing up.

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