Johnson was recognized for his innovative Adult Sports Virtual Managers’ Meeting.

Annually, Minnesota Recreation and Park Association (MRPA) presents awards of excellence for notable parks and recreation projects and programs. The City of Roseville was recognized for its Virtual Managers’ Softball Meeting, which enabled staff to address an industry-wide problem of low attendance at sports league managers’ meeting.

Johnson developed an online meeting, in which managers were able to watch the training at a time that was convenient to their schedule. More than 200 managers and players, representing approximately 70 percent of the league, watched the training, compared with the 27 in-person attendees the previous year. Ninety-two percent of the surveyed managers rated the information they received as “excellent.” One of the outcomes was that softball player ejections decreased 22 percent from the previous year.

MRPA is dedicated to enhancing the parks and recreation profession in their communities and in Minnesota. The Communications Award recognizes innovative and unique promotional techniques, communication tools, publications and visual presentations.