Merriam City Councilor Nancy Hupp has been named the 2015 Distinguished Elected Official by the Kansas Recreation and Park Association (KRPA).

Hupp has been on the council since 2003 and was nominated for the honor by the Merriam Parks and Recreation Department. The nomination form outlines Hupp’s long and strong involvement and advocacy for parks and the department: “Councilperson Hupp is a strong advocate for Parks; there is not a time that she does not ask what she can do to help or what we need.”

Merriam Parks and Recreation Director Anna Slocum said of Hupp and her involvement, “she’s always doing it for the greater good. It’s important to show her how much she has meant to us.”

The nomination form outlines a number of initiatives Hupp has led to advance the parks and community center and notes her willingness to be involved whenever needed: “There is no limit to her involvement. Whether it is serving hot dogs at a Party in Your Park, walking the neighborhood in her ward to hand out promotional material, directing traffic at the annual car show, working the check-in table at Daddy Daughter Date night, organizing a water station during the Turkey Creek Festival 5K, or organizing paddle boats at the Turkey Creek Festival, she is always there to lend a hand!”

She will receive the award later this month at the KRPA state convention. Slocum noted that the award is especially significant because Hupp’s nomination was up against those from much larger communities in Kansas.