New Ulm Park and Rec Director Joey Schugel (center) stands with MRPA President Jerome Krieger (left) and New Ulm Park and Rec Assistant Director Cheryl Kormann as he holds his 2024 Nelson-Niles Award. The award is given every year to an individual with 10 or more years of professional experience based on their service to the park and rec field and the MRPA.

NEW ULM — New Ulm Park and Rec Director Joey Schugel was given the Minnesota Recreation and Park Association (MRPA) Nelson-Niles Award in Maple Grove on Friday.

The award is given every year to an individual with 10 or more years of professional experience based on their service to the park and rec field and the MRPA. Schugel said his past experiences were crucial to his current success.

“I had the opportunity to work for two great supervisors,” he said. “They helped guide me to get those early steps in this career field. This is a career field where there aren’t a ton of positions depending on where you’re located. They helped me realize [this was something] I wanted to do for a career.”

The award requires countless hours of dedication not only in their city’s department but also on boards and initiatives within the MRPA. Schugel said that winning the award is a very humbling experience.

“I don’t do what I do to get recognition at all,” he said. “I do it because I love what I do. I have the opportunity to impact our communities in great ways and get to work with great staff.”

Currently, Schugel is the MRPA representative for the Southern Minnesota Recreation and Park Association (SMRPA). He is also a board member of the Minnesota Park and Rec Foundation, SMRPA scholarship committee member, and MRPA award committee member.

One initiative he has taken great pride in is being a mentor and adjunct faculty at MSU Mankato for their Recreation and Parks Leadership Studies program. Schugel said they have the only accredited Park and Rec program in the state. That, combined with the close proximity and support from peers in his field, resulted in a win-win scenario.

“It’s been great in many different ways,” he said. “It’s really important to be able to relate to our younger generations of students coming up into the field. We see a lot of our employees in our departments as young professionals and young individuals. I like being able to relate to them, give them an experience, and let them know this is a great career.”

Schugel will continue to be busy with MRPA work in 2024. Their state convention is in Mankato this year, within SMRPA territory. He said their planning committee has a lot of work to do and he is excited they’re hosting MRPA’s biggest event.

Though he is the one who received the award, Schugel said it would not have been possible without the people he’s worked with and served during his career.

“The only reason I was even nominated or thought of for the award is because of all the great people I’ve been able to work with over the years,” he said. “All the people who have mentored me, our great team in New Ulm, the administration, and my supervisors have given me a chance to prove I can do good things for their departments. They’ve given me the opportunity to come to work every day.”