Many Queen Creek residents take pride in the town’s beautiful parks and trails, but significant upkeep goes into maintaining these natural treasures.

During the annual Arizona Parks and Recreation Association awards ceremony, Queen Creek’s grounds superintendent, Rich Purcell, received the Outstanding Parks Professional award, according to a news release.

The award honors Purcell’s continuous contributions to the parks field, celebrating his 13 years of service, and contributions to facilities and management philosophies.

“The trails that run along our two washes are unique features of Queen Creek celebrated by residents, businesses and visitors,” stated Queen Creek Mayor Gail Barney. “Not only does Rich and his crew keep our current trail system in outstanding shape, they’re working to expand the trails. I frequently receive positive feedback from the community about how wonderful and safe our trails are, and I attribute that to Rich and his staff.”

Purcell oversees all municipal ground work including town-owned buildings, parks and trails.

“Rich has a vision of how to get a job done and then gets right in there to work alongside his employees to bring that vision to reality,” said Troy White, Public Works Director and Purcell’s supervisor. “I know that Rich is always looking for opportunities to improve our organization, which in turn improves the experience of our customers – internally and externally.”

Purcell was instrumental in the research, planning and construction of the city’s dog park and assists with many other key projects, including coordinating with volunteer groups to complete parks and trails beautification projects.

For more information about the parks in Queen Creek, visit QueenCreek.org/Parks.