A Celebration of Excellence in Public Participation:
The IAP2 USA Core Values Awards

What are the IAP2 Core Values Awards?

Each year, IAP2 affiliates around the world recognize leaders in the profession through the IAP2 Core Values Awards. The awards go to projects which best demonstrate IAP2's Core Values and help to raise the bar in the field of public engagement by sharing best practices and inspiring the P2 community to learn from one another. 

Competition for the 2021 IAP2 USA Core Values Awards was some of the keenest to date, making for a challenge for the judges. 

Public participation is based on the belief that those who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision making process.

Congratulations 2021 Core Values Award Winners!

The 2021 IAP2 USA Core Values Awards were presented September 16, 2021 at our virtual Core Values Awards Celebration. 

2021 IAP2 USA Core Values Award Winners

Core Values Award: General Project

"300 West: Using Public Participation to Reimagine Road Design"

Salt Lake City and Avenue Consultants

Salt Lake City and Avenue Consultants 

International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) USA awarded Salt Lake City, Utah and Avenue Consultants the 2021 IAP2 USA Core Values Award in the General Project Category. 

The project, 300 West: Using Public Participation to Reimagine Road Design transformed the way City of Salt Lake addresses public participation. Salt Lake City leadership and staff from different departments launched a process with Avenue Consultants to engage stakeholders, including hard-to-reach populations, about 300 West—the largest reconstruction project funded by a 2018 voter-approved bond. 

“Our Salt Lake City team did a truly remarkable job engaging the public on this project. By knocking 100 percent of doors in the project area, holding multiple on-site open house events to gather feedback, and ensuring that we had a diverse array of community input, our team made sure that people impacted by this project had the ability to be involved in the decision-making process, and that their contributions were influential in our final path forward.” -Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall. 

Engagement for 300 West included a focus group, surveys, an accessibility-focused tour, business workshops, feedback from clients of a local Homeless Resource Center, and more. Public comments helped guide the final street design, which will include a new two-way bike lane, continuous sidewalks, new crosswalks, medians at strategic locations along the roadway, as well as landscaped park strips with more trees. SLC values diverse public input and this award recognizes that commitment on this project, which will transform the corridor to become more accessible for all. The City is continually looking for new ways to connect community members to the public participation processes that improve quality of life for themselves and their neighbors.

“We are proud of the City’s engagement efforts. Meaningful change begins by thoughtful dialogue with the  people most affected  by the project and all others who choose to have a stake in the process. We encourage governmental agencies to integrate IAP2’s core values into their engagement opportunities.”-Salt Lake City Councilmember Amy Fowler

Read Submission    

IAP2 USA Diversity, Inclusion and Culture Core Values Award:

"Community Vision: Creating a Shared and Inclusive Vision for Park and Recreation Services – Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District, Beaverton and unincorporated Washington County, Oregon USA. "

by Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District (THPRD)


Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District 

International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) USA awarded Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District (THPRD) the 2021 IAP2 USA Core Values Award in the Respect for Diversity, Inclusion, and Culture Category. Also named IAP2 USA project of the year, it moves forward to the IAP2 International competition for judging at the international level.

The project, Community Vision: Creating a Shared and Inclusive Vision for Park and Recreation Services – Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District, Beaverton and unincorporated Washington County, Oregon USA set a standard for 21st Century community participation. Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District (THPRD) provides year-round opportunities for people of all abilities and ages to gather, play, and explore. THPRD is a nationally accredited and award-winning special district spanning 50 square miles and serving more than 250,000 community members. With more than 100 park sites with active recreational amenities, 70 miles of trails, eight swim centers, six recreation centers, and 1,500 acres of natural areas, THPRD is Oregon’s largest park district.

“On behalf of everyone at THPRD, we are honored and humbled to receive the Core Values Award for Respect for Diversity, Inclusion, and Culture, as well as the Overall Project of the Year Award,” said THPRD Board President Tya Ping. “This means more than you can even imagine. Our visioning volunteers and staff literally hit it out of the park, reaching thousands of people, leading with intentionality to connect with underserved and BIPOC communities. We are so passionate about leading with our racial equity values and to be recognized by the IAP2 for this work feels incredible. Thank you for the validation, thank you for your organization’s leadership on leading with equity, and thank you for helping share the good work of so many other communities, so we can all learn from each other to elevate our public service.

Read Submission    

Honorable Mention:


"Creativity and Innovation Award: Pandemic Resiliency"


San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) 


International Awards to be Announced Soon 

The International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) will soon announce the 2021 International Core Values Awards honoring award winners from around the world.

These award winners represent best practice in our field and serve as model of excellence for others to emulate. Winners and finalists are recognized for their contributions to the field in the areas of indigenous engagement, community development, health, infrastructure, environment, disaster and emergency services as well as for their creativity, innovation and inclusion. This is a testament to the tremendous expansion, professionalism and impact of our field of expertise.

Finalists for the ’best of the best international awards were gathered from entries submitted by IAP2 Regions in Australasia, Canada, and United States.

Details coming soon.

2021 IAP2 USA Core Values Award Judges

Cheryl Hilvert

Lewis Michaelson

Marty Rozelle

Doug Sarno

Cheryl Hilvert is a management and leadership consultant providing education and technical assistance for local governments on key management strategies designed to enhance organizational efficiency and effectiveness. Read more.

Lewis Michaelson is a past-president, life member, and licensed trainer for IAP2 and a member of the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution Roster of Neutrals. Read more.

Dr. Marty Rozelle has 35 years of experience in public policy development, third-party facilitation, process design, and conflict resolution. Read more.

Doug Sarno is a Master Certified Public Participation Professional (MCP3) and Licensed IAP2 trainer with over 30 years of experience in a wide range of disciplines that support participatory decision-making. Read more.

Sarah Dechter is the Comprehensive Planning Manager at City of Flagstaff where her job is to provide leadership and vision in implementing the Flagstaff's Regional Plan and developing small area plans. Her Core Values Project won both the U.S. and the Interternational Project of the Year award in 2020. Read more.



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