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Emi Domoto-Reilly Receives 2026 WRPA Citation-Individual Award
September 28, 2026
Pinedale, Wyoming — Emi Domoto-Reilly has been named the recipient of the 2026 Wyoming Recreation and Park Association (WRPA) Citation-Individual Award, recognizing her longstanding service, advocacy, and support of recreation.
The WRPA Citation-Individual Award recognizes a non-parks-and-recreation professional who has made a meaningful contribution to the field of recreation. Domoto-Reilly was recognized for more than a decade of volunteer service and her efforts to strengthen public recreation within her community.
“Emi is a community-minded person in the truest sense of the word,” said Amber Anderson, Director of the Pinedale Aquatic Center and Domoto-Reilly’s nominator. “She gives back—not because she has to or because she is looking for recognition, but because she genuinely cares about the place she calls home and the people who live there.”
Domoto-Reilly was one of the original founding board members of Friends of PAC, a nonprofit organization created in response to reductions in public funding for the Pinedale Aquatic Center. She helped turn the initial idea into an established nonprofit, working through the organization’s formation, nonprofit tax-exemption process, bylaws, grants, fundraising, and donor recruitment. Friends of PAC received its final IRS determination in 2018.
Since its creation, Friends of PAC has provided over $500,000 in direct financial support to the Pinedale Aquatic Center, helping sustain recreation programs and public access for residents of Pinedale and Sublette County.
The early work of building the organization was a hands-on effort.
“In those early days of Friends of PAC, we did the work wherever we could,” Anderson said. “We had breakfast meetings at the Rivera while she served her guests and spent late nights at her kitchen table while Emi baked her locally famous ginger snaps. She didn’t have the time to create a nonprofit, she found a way to make the time.”
Her service has continued well beyond the creation of Friends of PAC. Domoto-Reilly has supported recreation throughout the community and has continued to contribute her time, connections, and resources to causes that benefit local families.
Her commitment to recreation was especially visible during the 2026 Wyoming legislative session, when HB127 raised questions about the future of recreation mill funding.
“Most recently, she stepped forward to advocate for recreation in a big way,” Anderson said. “She took the time to understand a complex piece of legislation and the potential impact it could have on recreation in our community and across the state. She rallied community members to speak up, helped educate others, and even testified herself, using her voice to advocate for the future of recreation.”
Domoto-Reilly now serves as the Clerk of the Sublette County Recreation Board, where she continues to support the growth and sustainability of recreation county wide.
“What I admire most about Emi is that she understands that giving back isn’t just about making a difference today,” Anderson said. “It’s about building something that will benefit the community years from now.”
For Anderson, Domoto-Reilly’s willingness to invest in her community is what makes the recognition particularly fitting.
“When something matters to her community, she shows up,” Anderson said. “She is the kind of community member every recreation professional hopes to have in their corner.”
About the Wyoming Recreation and Park AssociationThe Wyoming Recreation and Park Association (WRPA) is a professional organization dedicated to supporting parks, recreation, and community services throughout Wyoming through education, advocacy, professional development, and networking.
Media Contact:
Amber Anderson
President, WY Recreation & Park Association
(307)360-6738
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