Awards & Recognition

  • Tree City USA (since 1994)
  • State (since 1994) and national (since 2004) Accreditations for Middleton Senior Center
  • Money/CNN Best Places to Live—7th (2005); 1st (2007) for communities under 50,000 population; 3rd (2009); 4th (2011)
  • Trail System Merit Award (2007) Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
  • Library of the Year (2007, Wisconsin Library Association
  • All-America Finalist (2010) by the National Civic League
  • Sustainable Community of the Year (2010) by In Business Magazine for the Dane County area
  • Green Tier Legacy Community Pioneer (2010) one of the first 5 cities selected by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
  • Ranked as a Star Library in Library Journal (2010) 
  • National Chamber of Commerce Siemens Sustainability Award Finalist (2012—top 4 nationally)
  • Best Neighborhood in Wisconsin (2012) by 1000 Friends of Wisconsin for Downtown Middleton
  • Dementia-Friendly Designation (2014) Alzheimer’s & Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin
  • National Recreation & Park Association Finalist for Small City Park & Recreation System of the Year (2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016)—top 4 systems nationally
  • State Accreditation for Middleton Police Department (2014, 2017, 2020, 2023) by Wisconsin Law Enforcement Group (WILEAG)
  • Exemplary Employer Award (2014) – Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development for hiring of persons with disabilities 
  • Bicycle Friendly Community (2015 Bronze) by the League of American Bicyclists 
  • Recycling Excellence Award (2015) Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources  
  • Water Efficiency Award – (2015) Wisconsin Water Association for Sustainability & Water Utility for water conservation program
  • Engineering Achievement Award – (2015) American Society of Civil Engineers for Terrace Avenue Reconstruction
  • Best Golf Course (Pleasant View) in Madison Area (Gold—2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022; Silver 2021, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2023; Bronze 2017) by Madison Magazine
  • Project of the Year (2016) American Public Works Association (Wisconsin Chapter) for Middleton Operations Center
  • American Planning Association—Wisconsin (2017) Great Places in Wisconsin for Pheasant Branch Conservancy
  • Certificate for Excellence in Financial Reporting (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)—Government Finance Officers Association.  
  • Silver Star Award for the Candy Cane Hunt unique Community Event/partnership between Recreation & Golf Course (2018) by Wisconsin Parks & Recreation Assn.
  • Renewable Energy Pioneers of the Year (2019) from Renew Wisconsin for Middleton Municipal Airport solar project
  • Parks (Matt Amundson) & Recreation (Rebecca Price) Professionals of the Year (2019) by Wisconsin Parks & Recreation Association 
  • Home Town Hero Award for Police Chief Chuck Foulke (2019) from the Wisconsin State Legislature
  • Wisconsin Association of Senior Centers Professional of the year award (2018) Tammy Derrickson
  • Jean B. Tyler Award (Abby Attoun) in 2020 for Public Leader of the Year (under 40) by the Wisconsin Policy Forum
  • 2020 Aquatic Outstanding Professional of the Year (Rebecca Price) from the Wisconsin Parks & Recreation Association
  • The Sierra Club recognizes the City as a “Ready for 100 Community” in honor of the City’s successful referendum and resolution committing to 100% renewable energy.  
  • Dane County Climate Champion (2020)
  • Best Running/Biking Trail (Pheasant Branch Conservancy) in Madison area (Gold--2021) by Madison Magazine
  • The 2021 Voice of the People (VOP) for Excellence in Equity/Inclusion Engagement
  • 2021 Recreation Outstanding Professional of the Year (Greg Lamping) from the Wisconsin Parks & Recreation Association
  • 2023 Wisconsin American Society of Landscape Architects Merit Award for Stone Horse Green Design
  • 2023 Outstanding Youth Worker of Dane County - Director Gabrielle Hinahara
  • 2023 Best Complete Streets Policy - Smart Growth America