Congratulations to Recreation, Park and Tourism Management alumnus David Williams for being a recipient of the 2023 Ohio Parks and Recreation Association Outstanding Leadership Award winner.
Williams, the founder and owner of David Williams & Associates, received the association’s highest honor as the newest inductee into the OPRA Hall of Fame.
A strong supporter of OPRA for nearly 50 years, and a 1973 graduate of the College of Education, Health and Human Services with a degree in Recreation, Parks and Tourism Management, Williams spent his entire career in the parks and recreation world.
In the mid-70's, he began working for GameTime Playground Equipment distributor in Ohio, spending his entire career with the company. Williams truly enjoyed working with parks and recreation departments across the state. He was a continuous advocate of OPRA and supported the association and annual conference at historic levels. Williams firmly believes in the benefits that parks and recreation bring to local communities, and built his career supporting that work.
In 2018, he retired from David Williams & Associates/DWA Recreation; however, in semi-retirement Williams continues to provide annual playground safety inspections for recreation departments around the state. Moreover, Williams continues to give back to parks and recreation by volunteering with The Friends of the Park organization in his hometown of Alliance. His vanity license plate reads: “It Starts in Parks.” For his career of service to parks and recreation, and to OPRA, Williams earned the honor of being the newest member of the OPRA Hall of Fame.
"On behalf of the faculty of the Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management program at Kent State, I would like to congratulate David on his prestigious and well-deserved induction into the OPRA Hall of Fame," said Mary Parr, RPTM professor. "We are so proud of the work our RPTM graduates are doing to improve lives and communities across the state and beyond through the power of parks and recreation. David's contributions to OPRA, the profession, and countless communities in the region will live on for generations."