Garland's commitment to the arts, history, and community engagement has been recognized with prestigious honors at the Texas Recreation & Park Society North Region Conference held earlier this month. Heritage Crossing, in particular, nabbed the Arts and Humanities Programming Achievement Award for its space industry-focused summer exhibit, "Garland and Beyond: Explore Garland in the Space Industry." The exhibit, a triad of stories encompassing manned space travel, the International Space Station, and, crucially, the role Garland manufacturing has played in the space industry, underscored the city's ingenuity and historical relevance, according to the City of Garland.
Amidst the accolades, Nancy Tunell, Garland's part-time volunteer coordinator, was awarded the Part-Time Employee of the Year. Working part-time, Tunell's work maximizing community and corporate engagement through a vast network of volunteers has been nothing short of stellar. She managed to log more than 3,000 hours of volunteer service last year, which, if manned by a full-time employee, would have been equivalent to the efforts of one and a-half. This comes alongside successfully securing a grant from the North Central Texas Council of Governments to expand the city's volunteer program, per the City of Garland.
Garland Parks & Recreation's footprint in the community has expanded significantly under Tunell's watch, with the number of volunteer events ballooning. This significant increase can partially be attributed to her nurturing of the city’s corporate volunteer network, inviting participation from local establishments, education centers, and faith-based institutions. Her efforts reinforce the vital role volunteers play in bolstering the city’s park services.
Heritage Crossing’s winning exhibit, which was developed in partnership with NASA’s Johnson Space Center, did more than just showcase Garland's connection to the space industry; it celebrated the locality's broader journey into the arts and humanities.
