By Hannah E. Jones, Park Pride’s Marketing & Communications Manager
While quality parks are Park Pride’s medium, stronger communities are our primary goal.
Our 2025 Inspiration Award winners are part of the network of hardworking and dedicated community members who help us advance this mission.
Through our annual Inspiration Awards, we honor local park champions who nurture the bond between parks and communities in the City of Atlanta and DeKalb County.
Each year, the winners are recognized in a dedicated ceremony at the Parks & Greenspace Conference in March.
Meet Park Pride’s 2025 Inspiration Award winners!
Priscilla Davenport, N.H. Scott Park (DeKalb County)
Priscilla Davenport with the Friends of N.H. Scott Park believes that investing in parks is crucial for nurturing a vibrant, united community.
As a park volunteer, Priscilla feels extreme fulfillment from working with other dedicated neighbors to make a positive impact on her community.
She realized that her efforts were about more than “just a park” when witnessing the transformation of N.H. Scott Park – including building a community garden, installing outdoor adult exercise equipment, and beginning renovations to the swimming pool.
When looking ahead at the future of parks in DeKalb County, Priscilla envisions parks continuing to be more than just recreational areas but also shared community gathering spaces that foster social interaction, physical activity, and environmental stewardship.
David Lloyd Davis, Cascade Springs Nature Preserve (City of Atlanta)
David Lloyd Davis believes that once someone truly experiences the healing power of a park, they can’t unsee it.
And once they feel that connection, they’ll want to protect it – not just for themselves, but for future generations.
David and his team at the Cascade Springs Nature Conservancy have been committed to activating the park as a hub for community-building.
He believes that a well-integrated park system strengthens both local and regional identity, bridging generations and ensuring that the benefits of green space are equitably shared.
Looking ahead at the future of Atlanta’s parks, David believes that the city has an opportunity to create a truly connected green space network.
He emphasizes that the future of Atlanta’s parks should be rooted in equity and inclusivity, as every park has a story, every park serves a community, and every community deserves to have a voice in shaping the future of their green spaces.
John Pappas, Sidney Marcus Park (Atlanta)
John Pappas believes that the ties between a park and its community are “double-knotted,” with the community giving to the park and the park giving right back.
When John jumpstarted the Friends of Sidney Marcus Park in 2017, the Morningside park was overgrown and faced drainage challenges, but he could see that it was well-used and well-loved.
While the park didn’t have much to offer, John quickly realized that people care about their local park and that neighbors need places to gather.
John says he knows the park is doing its job when he sees it filled with activity – whether it’s birthday parties, Boy Scout meetings, concerts, or local church celebrations.
John describes parks as pillars of our communities.
This became abundantly clear during the pandemic when the Friends group began hosting quarterly food donation drives in the park in collaboration with a neighborhood food bank.
With the help of many neighbors, they collected over 6,500 pounds of food and hygiene products.
This is when it truly hit home for John that Sidney Marcus Park was more than “just a park.”
JoAnna Powell, Lillian Cooper Shepherd Park (Atlanta)
“A park is more than just green space – it’s a reflection of the community that surrounds it.”
Growing up, JoAnna Powell played in the very park that she now serves – Lillian Cooper Shepherd Park in the Lincoln Homes neighborhood.
For JoAnna, the power of parks is about community, legacy, and opportunity.
Lillian Cooper Shepherd Park shaped her childhood by providing a safe space to play, connect, and grow.
Now, she’s committed to restoring and improving the park so that future generations can experience that same sense of belonging and joy.
JoAnna points to the neighborhood reunion, held every June, as a testament to the vital role that the park plays within the community.
Generations of families return to the park to celebrate their roots.
That’s when she truly realized that this work isn’t just about a park – it’s about preserving a legacy.
Bobbie Spiller, Chosewood Park (Atlanta)
Bobbie Spiller went from being a casual visitor at Chosewood Park to purchasing a piece of property that was recently acquired by the City of Atlanta to transform the park’s entrance.
Bobbie describes Chosewood Park as her “saving grace.”
When her son was a baby, she would take him to the park to play and began daydreaming about ways to make the park thrive.
A few years later, Bobbie and her son helped select the park’s new playground design, watching from demolition to the ribbon cutting.
That’s when Bobbie realized the power of community and parks.
She has great appreciation for how the community has rallied together to help Chosewood Park reach its fullest potential.
Currently, the park has one entrance and limited parking.
But Bobbie saw an opportunity.
She noticed that a property bordering the park was for sale, so she and another Friends group member Taryn Arbeiter teamed up to buy the parcel of land.
The duo then worked with The Conservation Fund to transfer ownership, and the property was recently acquired by the City of Atlanta as part of Chosewood Park.
Thanks to their efforts, there will be direct park access on the east side of the neighborhood.
These Inspiration Award winners encapsulate the power of parks and the power of community!
If you’d like to give Mother Nature some love this month, join us in the spirit of Earth Day for our Greener Good Volunteer Event on Saturday, April 19 at 9 a.m. at Historic Washington Park!
You’re also invited to our Walk in the Park + City Nature Challenge on Friday, April 25 at 9 a.m. at Candler Park!
Together, we’ll kick off the 2025 City Nature Challenge (CNC) in this special edition of our monthly Walk in the Park.
CNC is the world’s largest community science competition, where cities across the globe compete to engage the most people in discovering and documenting local wildlife.
Learn how to use the iNaturalist app to log your observations while exploring Candler Park with a tour from the Candler Park Conservancy.
Happy Earth Month, Atlanta! See you in a park!
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