people and news

Gary Robb

Gary M. Robb has been appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Recreation and Park Administration, Office of Recreation and Park Resources at the University of Illinois, Champaign. Mr. Robb is being funded through a Bureau of Education for the Handicapped Grant. As Curriculum Coordinator of the three-year project, he is responsible for developing a two-year college curriculum in therapeutic recreation. Three junior colleges in the state have been initially selected to participate in the project.

Mr. Robb has received B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Utah. He has also completed post master's degree work at the University of Massachusetts, where he was an instructor in the Department of Leisure Studies and Services. He was formerly Director of Camp Allen for handicapped children in New Hampshire and Chief of Therapeutic Recreation at the Children's Psychiatric Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Gary is registered as a MTRS with the National Therapeutic Recreation Society. He is also an Editorial Consultant for the Therapeutic Recreation Journal and has recently been elected to the Board of Directors of the National Therapeutic Recreation Society.

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Jeff Boubelik has been hired by the Hazel Crest Park District as superintendent of recreation. He is the first full time superintendent in the Park District's history. He has been working as part time director for the past 3 years.

Boubelik is a graduate of Northern Illinois University with a bachelor of science degree in education. He has taught P.E. and coached in School District 151,

South Holland for the past four years. Before teaching, he was program director for Boys Country Club in Wisconsin during the summers.

Presently, Boubelik is working on a master of science degree in Recreation and Park Administration through the University of Illinois extension service.

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Steve Gonzales

Stephen Gonzalez has joined the staff of the Dundee Township Park District as a supervisor. Prior to joining the staff, he was employed by the Champaign Park District as a program coordinator, by the Urbana Park District as an assistant pool manager and day camp unit leader, and by the Oak Park Recreation Dept. as a center leader. In 1973 he served on NRPA's Board - Trustee - Members Committee on Minority Affairs. Steve received his B.S. degree in Physical Education from the University of Illinois-Chicago Circle Campus, and his M.S. in Recreation and Park Administration from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana Campus. He is a member of C.P.R.S, I.P.R.S., N.R.P.A. and S.P.R.A. and is certified as a supervisor by I.P.R.S.

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Mary Colmar

Mrs. Mary E. Colmar has recently been appointed to the newly created position of Director at the Olympia Fields Park District. She is a 1973 graduate of the Department of Recreation and Park Administration at the University of Illinois and is currently enrolled in the Extension Masters program. Prior to her appointment, she served with Champaign Park District, Hazel Crest Park District, and completed her professional fieldwork with the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District. She has been active in the area of International Recreation and was a scholarship winner to the International Congress in Brussels this past spring.

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Thomas R. Carlson, Group Manager of the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Departments for the City of Evanston, where he has served in an administrative capacity since November 1961, was recently promoted to Deputy City Manager. In his new post Carlson is working directly with City Manager Edward A. Martin on the overall operation of the municipality with special responsibilities in the areas of labor relations, personnel, budgeting and new facilities.

Carlson, who holds an M.S. degree from Purdue University and a B.S. degree from Central University of Iowa, has been in the Park and Recreation field since 1951.

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Donald J. Wirth immediately assumed the responsibilities of Director for the same three departments which Carlson had headed. During the proceeding three years Wirth had been Director of the Recreation Department. Wirth received both his B.S. and M.S. in Recreation and Park Administration from the University of Illinois and for the seven years prior to coming to Evanston was Director of Parks and Recreation at Brookfield, Wisc.

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Louis F. Schick was named the new Superintendent of Recreation. Schick had functioned as Sports Supervisor for the Evanston Recreation Department since March 1972. He was awarded his B.S. degree in Community Recreation and M.S. in Recreation Administration from Southern Illinois University. Before joining the Evanston Recreation Department staff, Schick was associated with the Jackson County Family YMCA of Carbondale (Ill.).

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Vito (Bill) DiCanio, Jr., Maintenance Superintendent since Feb. 1972, has been promoted to Superintendent of the Evanston Park Department. Prior to joining the Park Department, DiCanio had been Sports Supervisor for the Evanston Recreation Department since November 1968. He succeeded Park Director Roger Laninga, resigned.

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Patricia Ways has been named Supervisor of the popular PreSchool Program in the Bridgeview Park District. She began her education at Chicago State Teachers College. This coming January she

Illinois Parks and Recreation 32 January/February, 1974

will receive her Associates Degree of Recreation from Moraine Valley Community College. She has been very involved with Girl Scouts, and Adult Scouting. Mrs. Ways joined the staff of the pre-school six weeks after its formation and has been involved with other recreational activities in the district. She has been a member of the Illinois Parks & Recreation Society for the past several years and has displayed her arts and crafts and pre-school activities at several conventions.

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Scout Gunn

Dr. Scout Lee Gunn has recently been amaointed as the new Coordinator of the Therapeutic Option at the University of Illinois. Dr. Gunn received her M. Ed. in Recreation and Ed.D. in Therapeutic Recreation from the University of Georgia.

She comes to the department with several years of experience as a practitioner and administrator of Therapeutic Recreation. While in Georgia, Dr. Gunn served as the Coordinator of Special Therapies for the Northeast Georgia Community Mental Health Center and Regional Medical Hospital. Her professional orientation is that of comprehensive interdisciplinary activity therapy programming, with a particular emphasis on community development and collaboration.

Along with a "southern drawl," five horses, and a sailboat, Dr. Gunn brings with her to Illinois a fond interest in other outdoor activities, including water-skiing, golf, tennis, back-packing, swimming, and canoeing.

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Richard Bunch

Dr. Richard A. Bunch has assumed the position of Chairman of the Deparment of Recreation and Park Administration at Western Illinois University. He replaces Dr. Tony Mobley, who assumed a similar position at Pennsylvania State University in 1972, and Dr. Frank Lupton who was Acting Chairman in 1972-73.

Dr. Bunch rejoins the W.I.U. faculty after a two-year leave during which time he served as a consultant and technical advisor for youth programs in Tahiti, French Polynesia, under the auspices of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Prior to leaving W.I.U. Dr. Bunch was Acting Chairman of the Department. He also served as an N.R.P.A. Intern and Assistant Director in Oak Park, Illinois, from 1966 to 1969.

After receiving a B.A. degree from Graceland College in Lamoni, Iowa, Dr. Bunch taught and coached in Belle Plaine, Iowa, prior to moving on to Indiana University for graduate studies. He was awarded the Doctorate of Recreation from Indiana in 1971. He is a certified administrator and has been active in I.P.R.S. and N.R.P.A. committees. In 1969 he chaired a workshop "Programming for Inner-City Residents" at the N.R.P.A. Congress in Chicago.

Dr. Bunch is married and he and his wife, Kay, have two daughters, Kerby and Amy.

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Chris Howe

A. H. Peavy, Director of the Dade County Parks and Recreation Department has recently appointed Christine Ziebarth Howe to the position of Recreation Center Director at Calusa Park on Key Biscayne, Florida. Mrs. Howe is a 1973 graduate of the University of Illinois with a BS in Recreation and Park Administration. She is a former member of IPRS, presently a member of NRPA and the Florida Recreation Association. She joined the department this past June during the summer recreation program.

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Bill Foss

Bill Foss, graduate of the University of Illinois and presently working on his Master's Degree, has recently been employed by the Franklin Park Park District to fill the position of Athletic Director.

Bill has replaced Bob Antil who has taken a sales position in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Bill's experience has included working in various recreation and park departments in both Illinois and Arizona. His background includes programming in all areas of recreation with a strong emphasis in sports activities. His position will include the further development of existing sports activities plus the creation of new ones.

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Dennis Howard

Dr. Dennis R. Howard has recently joined the faculty of Western Illinois University in the Department of Recreation and Park Administration Dr. Howard received his Ph.D. from Oregon State University and also holds degrees from the University of Illinois and the University of Oregon. He has been employed in the Oakland, California, Recreation Department and in the Mountain View, California, Recreation and Parks Department.

Dr. Howard's interest and experience in management systems and socio-psychological concepts of leisure add several new dimensions to WlU's program. He will be working closely with administration courses and supervising research in the newly-instituted graduate program at WIU.

Dr. Howard is married and he and his wife, Linda, have one son, Timmy.

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Steve Carpenter

The Pekin Park District Board of Commissioners has announced the appointment of Stephen H. Carpenter as Executive Director. Carpenter has a B.A. degree in Physical Education and an MS degree in Parks and Recreation Administration. Carpenter returns to the Pekin Park District having served as the Superintendent of Recreation and Assistant Director from June 1967—August 1970.

Steve Carpenter replaces Donald G. Meinen as the District Executive Director. Meinen has accepted a newly created position as Tri-County Projects Director. In his new position, Meinen will be responsible for riverfront development as well as federal funding land acquisition, and development.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 33 January/February, 1974