Exeter’s Greg Bisson honored with top NH Parks and Recreation award
EXETER — Parks and Recreation Director Greg Bisson was recently honored with this year’s “Wink” Tapply Professional Award.
The Select Board presented Bisson with his award at its recent meeting, praising him as the embodiment of the meaning of the award and the person for whom it’s named. The award, said Select Board Chairman Niko Papakonstantis, is the highest honor the New Hampshire Recreation Professional Association can bestow, and no one deserves it more than Bisson.
Papakonstantis said anyone in town with children knows Bisson’s dedication and work ethic, and no one who works harder, more passionately, or who loves Exeter more than Bisson.
“There’s no stronger advocate for our kids, for our families, but it goes beyond that,” Papakonstantis said. “Greg is also a strong advocate for our senior (citizens) and for just about everyone in town who wants to enjoy our parks and seek out recreation.”
Humbly accepting the award, Bisson reminded the board that he’s the second Exeter Recreation Department director to receive the Tapply Award honor.
“Doug Dicey won it in 1984,” Bisson said.
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According to Papakonstantis, the Tapply award is prestigious because of the example Wink Tapply set for recreation professionals. Wink Tapply launched the field of community recreation in the 1940s as the recreation director in the town of Bristol.
He went on to become one of the founders of the New Hampshire Office of Community Recreational Services, which became the N.H. Parks and Recreation Professional Association, and served as its president for years, according to Papakonstantis.
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Tapply’s dedication to his field was so well known both in the Granite State and beyond, his career expanded to speaking at national events, Papakonstantis said, where he’d promote his belief that an active and creative parks and recreation environment plays an important role in building a vibrant community as a whole.
“(Bisson) is someone who has exhibited the high character values, and commitment to recreation and community as Tapply,” Papakonstantis said. “As anyone who has worked with Gregg over the 20 years he’s worked here knows, he’s the consummate professional.”
Select Board member Nancy Belanger offered her congratulations, extending her thanks to Bisson’s wife and daughters, who support him and his long, odd hours.
“It’s a family effort,” she said.
To which Bisson said he couldn’t do his job without their support.
Select Board member Dan Chartrand recalled the day Town Manager Russ Dean told him he wanted to appoint Bisson director of his department because “he’s a superstar.”
“Greg is the fulfillment of that prediction,” Chartrand said. “Thank you for your dedication to this town.”
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Dean also offered his congratulation, adding he hopes Exeter has the benefit of Bisson in his position for many more years.
To that, Bisson smiled.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said.
Select Board member Molly Cowan, the board representative to Parks and Recreation, said it’s always a pleasure to work with Bisson in that role, and as the mother of young children who take part in Rec programs.
“I always see you there and you know everybody’s name,” Cowan said. “It means the world to me as a parent. I’m glad you’re not going anywhere soon. I’m going to hold you to that.”
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Exeter’s Greg Bisson honored with top NH Parks and Recreation award
