Organizing the 1983 IPRA/IAPD State Conference

By Lydia Lombardo

Hartman

Johnson

The IPRA/IAPD Park and Recreation Conference doesn't just hatch out of a cocoon. Months of diligent planning, persistence and able co-chairing pull this giant educational conclave together. This year's helms-persons, Steve Hartman of IPRA, and Jane Johnson of IAPD, have led their colleagues into producing an outstanding resource for park and recreation professionals and commissioners. With patience, they pulled together separate IPRA and IAPD conference committees, while chairing the joint committee comprised of key people from both groups.

What do these three committees do? The joint committee coordinates the entire conference including exhibits and policy and budgetary decisions. The IPRA committee oversees conference operations and all educational sessions, and the IAPD committee assumed responsibility for all commissioner, forest preserve, legislative sessions and exhibits. The results: a highly sophisticated conclave which blends just the right educational atmosphere with the camaraderie expected at a park and recreation conference. Hats off to Johnson and Hartman — a couple of sophisticated co-chairs. And now, meet them personally . . .

Jane Johnson attributes her leadership success to her ability to really listen to people and then motivate them toward a common goal. Because she sees herself as a facilitator, she always delves a bit deeper and encourages discussion, and sometimes even dissension when necessary, to reach a resolution.

This moxie lady with the dark hair and twinkling eyes is high on life and people, and she has relished her four years membership on the conference committee. She's handled entertainment, ad solicitation for the conference newspaper, banquet arrangements, and has chaired five educational sessions.

A Glencoe commissioner for four years, she lavishly praises her committee members. "In fact," she says, "things are going so well for the conference, and we're running so far ahead of schedule, that I'm a little nervous..." Jane attributes this efficiency to the committee's willingness to learn from past conferences while continuing to hone and polish "the product."

Jane has also been greatly involved in the LIFE. BE IN IT. special events planning. As a resource person, she directed the IAPD and the Joint Public Awareness Committee on leads for banners, balloons, and many other items.

In her non-IAPD and conference life, Jane sells advertising specialties and executive gifts to a variety of firms and serves many park and recreation clients. She lives in Glencoe with her two children and is an avid sportsperson, pursuing softball, volleyball, racquet-ball, hiking, skiing, and sailing. She's not kidding when she extols LIFE. BE IN IT.

Steve Hartman's leadership credo relies heavily on people to carry out their commitments. He firmly believes in coordinating a project, and then stepping back and allowing the responsible person to accomplish the assigned task. This approach produces a well-oiled conference committee, and, we hear, a well-oiled Lisle Park District, where Steve has been director since 1972.

Steve came to Illinois from Salisbury, Maryland to assume his current directorship. As an out-of-towner, he attributes his involvement with the conference committee as the catalyst for meeting fellow professionals and becoming part of the "park and recreation" community. He adds that his association with the committee has been very rewarding because of the social benefit, but he also savors the efficiency of the conference committee structure because it produces such "satisfactory tangible results."

As an IPRA conference committee member for seven years, Steve has overseen most of the conference activities. At present, he also heads the 1983 IPRA Continuing Education Clearinghouse Committee and is running for IPRA secretary.

Highly committed to family and community, Steve lives in Lisle with his wife and children. For the past six years, he served as member of the Lisle Planning Commission and recently was elected board member for St. Joan of Arc School.

Steve is well-known for his soft-spokeness and placid countenance which hides a well-developed sense of humor which sometimes borders on the ridiculous. And as most of his colleagues say, he is "a hell of a guy" who always gets the job done.

Illinois Parks and Recreation    22    September/October 1983