GFOA Recognizes Excellence in Financial Reporting
In Illinois, 26 park districts and forest preserves, plus the Park District Risk Management Agency and the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, a national award established by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) in 1945 to recognize and encourage financial reporting by state and local governments. The attainment of a Certificate of Achievement represents a significant accomplishment for a government and its management. The following Illinois agencies earned a Certificate of Achievement for comprehensive annual financial reports with fiscal years ending in 1996.

U of I Announces Award Winners
At its 32nd Annual Awards Banquet, the Department of Leisure Studies of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign presented the following awards to students and alumni:

Meyer Named SIU's Outstanding Alumnus
Greg Meyer, director of the HomewoodFlossmoor Park District,

recently received the Outstanding Alumnus Award from Southern Illinois University. Meyer received his master's in Recreation in 1972. As part of his master's work, Meyer served as one of the early directors of Special Olympics for Southern Illinois.

Lake County Receives National Print Communication Awards
Four public information and educational materials produced by the Lake County Forest Preserves received top honors in the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) Print Communications Awards program. It's all in the Details, the district's 1997 Annual Report, received the Award of Excellence, the award program's highest distinction. The Natural Resource Management brochure series received first place honors, and the Education Guide, which offers a fill spectrum of history and environmental education programs, received the third place award. An Honorable Mention was presented for the "Refuge for the Rare" poster, an educational tool featuring the Sandhill Crane and a list of 50 other endangered species that make their home in the forest preserves. NAI is an organization for nature center and museum professionals, and for agencies, including the National Park Service, that help the public appreciate their natural and historical heritage through educational programming.

Youth Soccer Association Honors Sommer
Jon D. Sommer, CLP former 25-year executive director of the Oak Brook Park District,

received the "Meritorious Service Award" from the Ill. Youth Soccer Association (IYSA). Sommer was cited for his "energy, knowledge and unselfish efforts that have provided and sustained the State Youth Soccer Association with its excellent foundation." Sommer founded and incorporated the IYSA in 1975, and served as its president for several years. He also served as a Sub-Regional Chairman of the USYSA and on the national committee for reorganizing the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF). Sommer also played an instrumental role in bringing about the relocation of the USSF's corporate offices to the city of Chicago. In addition, he designed the IYSA's corporate logo.