It was a banner year for the Oxford Park Commission at the 2025-2026 Mississippi Recreation & Parks Association banquet held Tuesday, March 3 in Biloxi.
The OPC won 5 first-place awards for a mixture of events and classes and for the individual work and dedication of a staff member. It was the eighth time since 2016 that the OPC has won at least 3 awards in the same year.
Professional Of The Year
Nathan John highlighted the award list this year by being named the Lamar Evans Recreational Professional of the Year. John serves the OPC as the Instructional Program Director. He coordinates with virtually all of the instructors who serve the community with our various class offerings throughout the year. John has also served the department as an athletic director, leading sports such as baseball, flag football and basketball during his 12-year tenure.
Other OPC staff members that have won the Professional of the Year award in the last decade include Sam Pryor (2019) and Mike Young (2016).
Tennis On Campus Tournament
Tennis on Campus won the Awards in Excellence Special Events Sports Programming. The John Leslie Courts served as the center for the 2-day tournament in October that featured teams from schools such as LSU, Kennesaw State, Georgia Tech, and Kansas. William Foreman, who serves at the Director of Competitive Pathway for USTA Mississippi, said Oxford is the perfect location for a collegiate tennis tournament.
“When the USTA was looking for a host site in Mississippi for this event, Oxford checked all the boxes,” Foreman said. “The 20-court complex the city invested in allows for all the matches to be played at one site. The restaurant scene and the evening activities are a big draw for the college players. There are plenty of hotels and home rentals for the teams to reside in, even in a smaller town. We are really looking forward to being back in Oxford for this event in 2026.”
Princess Camp With Lana Hand
Princess Camp, led by instructor Lana Hand, won first place in the Arts & Humanities Award of Merit-Single Program category. Princess Camp was a special event camp Hand organized in Vicksburg. She is a former kindergarten teacher who really has a special gift for leading children age 4 to 9 in a number of different activities.
Princess Camp was a big hit with our local community in its first fall offering, and the initial success led to Hand adding more special event camps during breaks from school. Hand said she loves what she does, and was very appreciative for being nominated and for the award win.
Foundations of Dog Obedience Class
Another first-year offering that ended up with a victory this year was Foundations of Dog Obedience with instructor Bekah Chapman. Chapman hosted 4 different classes for owners who have a dog that is 4 months or older. Chapman has over 13 years of experience training, and she regularly works with law enforcement agencies for search and rescue and location finding missions.
“I’m so grateful to the OPC for providing us with the opportunity to offer our group obedience class to the community,” Champman said.
LLO Cardio Fit & Strength Training
The final award was for the Therapeutic Programing Award of Merit. Cardio Fit & Strength Training is part of the Leisure Lifestyles program that is for ages 40 and older. The classes are hosted in the Oxford Activity Center on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8:30 to 10 am. Participants can sign up for the classes for free through the OPC website.
by John Davis, Oxford Park Commission Community Relations Director
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