Toalson Named "Most Valuable Citizen"
Robert Toalson, general manager of the
Champaign Park District, received the 1999
Champaign County Most Valuable Citizen Award
for his tremendous 30-year dedication to the quality of life of the citizens of Champaign County.
Instituted in 1992, the award recognizes outstanding contributions of individuals in
Champaign County and an ongoing commitment to the community and its development. Toalson is credited for
"putting Champaign's parks and recreation programs on the map—locally,
regionally, nationally and internationally." For the University of Illinois,
he served on the Advisory Committee of the Department of Recreation
and Leisure Studies, Site Planning Committee for the Arboretum, and
was a visiting lecturer. He also served on the Illinois Lieutenant Governor's
Committee on Open Space and Environment. He has been involved in
the National Recreation and Park Association and was a founding member
of the American Academy for Recreation Administration. His list of contributions to the community
is long. Locally, he has served for the United
Way, McKinley Church and Foundation, Kiwanis International and numerous task forces and committees.
He received the Vocational Service
Award from the Champaign Rotary and was recognized by Oak Park as its
Outstanding Citizen in 1965.
Elmhurst Wins Communicator Award
The Elmhurst Park District won an Award of Distinction in the category
Government/Low Budget in the Communicator Awards 1999 Video
Competition. The Communicator Awards is a national program that recognizes
outstanding work in the communications field. Entries are judged
by industry professionals who look for companies and individuals whose
talent exceeds a high standard of excellence and whose work serves as a
benchmark for the industry. There were 3,275 entries from 49 states and
seven other countries. The Award of Distinction is awarded for projects
that exceed industry standards in production or communication skills.
Burnidge Cassell Receives Awards
for Master Plan
The Illinois Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects
presented a Planning Merit Award to Burnidge Cassell and Associates its
December Awards Banquet. The Illinois Chapter of the American Planning Association
presented an Honorable Mention Award to the Village
of Lake Zurich and Burnidge Cassell and Associates at its annual meeting.
The jury took particular note of the thoroughness of the effort and the
implementation program outlined in the Downtown Master Plan. The
plan was completed in the Spring of 1999 after a yearlong process. Burnidge
Cassell Associates (BCA) is a multi-discipline firm that has received numerous awards
in their 32 years of architectural and landscape/landplanning practice.
Kathy Merner joined the staff of the Macon
County Conservation District as executive director, becoming the third director to lead the
district. Merner comes to the district from her post as
deputy director of the Joliet Park District. Previously, she served as director of planning and development
for the Forest Preserve District of Cook
County and the director of the Roselle and Itasca
park districts. Located in Decatur, the conservation district manages 3, 400 acres of natural area,
historic sites, and trails for the 117, 000 residents of Macon County.
Nancy Kaszak, a park lawyer with experience
in state government, has been named executive
director of CorLands, a 22-year-old nonprofit organization that saves open space throughout the
Chicago region for public enjoyment. Kaszak's real
estate expertise includes years of serving as chief
legal officer for the Chicago Park District and representing a variety of suburban park districts for
Ancel, Glink, Diamond, Cope & Bush, P.D., a
Chicago firm that specializes in local government
law. During her five years at the Chicago Park District, Kaszak managed
legal matters related to the district's land-acquisition program, which included acquisition
of large parcels of riverfront, lakefront and abandoned
railway properties. Her extensive knowledge of government stems from
serving four years as a state representative, during which her accomplishments included establishing
a center to provide non-regulatory environmental assistance to small and mid-size businesses.
CorLands, or the Corporation for Openlands, is an affiliate of the 37-year-old Openlands Project,
a nonprofit conservation organization among the oldest in the nation.
Working with park and forest preserve districts, other public agencies and
private landowners, CorLands has helped preserve over 6,000 acres of
open space in Illinois valued at more than $60 million.
Jan Springer joins the Northbrook Park District as recreation supervisor. She hails from
LaSalle-Peru, Ill., and graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor of science
degree in Leisure Studies, with an emphasis on Program Management. Previously, she worked for
the Naperville Park District as program manager
for preschool/youth programs. Springer will be
responsible for supervising general programming
at the district, specifically preschool, camps, general classes and special events.
Illinois Parks and Recreation * March/April 2000 * 53
PEOPLE AND PLACES
- In Memoriam -
Jerry Baer and John Brandenburg
Jerry Baer (left) and John Brandenburg
The Schaumburg Park District was devastated by the deaths of a veteran staff member
and a park board commissioner, occurring less than 24 hours apart, in late January.
Jerry Baer, assistant director at the Schaumburg Park District, died on Jan. 19,
2000, in Chicago, after a courageous yearlong battle with cancer. He was 52. Baer had
been employed at the district since 1975 as their financial and business officer. He
served as chairperson for the NRPA Business Institute in 1999 and had previous
involvement in IPRA serving as director of the A & F Section. His colleagues fondly
remember him for his stellar financial acumen, quick wit, contagious laughter, and
keen love of sports.
John Brandenburg, 67, was first elected park commissioner at Schaumburg Park
District in 1967 and was re-elected several times thereafter. Brandenberg died on Jan.
20, 2000, following complications from a lengthy illness. He was very active in the
Schaumburg Athletic Association and was a strong supporter of youth activities.
Brandenburg contributed immeasurably to the growth and success of the district over the past four decades.
Steve Muenz was hired as recreation supervisor for the Northbrook Park
District, coordinating programs for the Athletics/Aquatics
Department such as soccer, volleyball, tennis and
softball. He also will help organize special events
such as Winter Carnival, Spring Bunny Trail,
Kid Fest and this year's 2000 Fest Celebration.
Muenz holds a bachelor of science degree in
Recreation Administration from Aurora University and has worked
as an athletic supervisor
for the Wauconda and Vernon Hills park districts.
Judith Lukes was hired by the Naperville Park
District as community development manager.
She will coordinate the volunteer program and
local grants, gifts, and donations. Lukes comes
to the park district from the Community Career
Center in Naperville, where she was the executive director. There, she wrote grants, recruited
and trained more than 40 volunteers, and developed strategies for fund-raising. Lukes also
was an adjunct faculty member of the speech
and theater department at North Central College and an adjunct faculty
member in the speech communication department at Elmhurst College.
Joe Nidea has become the first full-time fitness coordinator of the
Premiere Fitness Club, a facility of Oak Brook Park District. Certified by
the National Academy of Sports medicine as a fitness trainer with 13 years
in the fitness industry, he is a veteran who has been with the three year-old
facility since it first opened. Formerly a manager of the DuPage Club,
Nidea is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the Premiere Fitness Club, including staff scheduling and trainer assignment.
He graduated from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a
bachelor of science degree in Biology/Psychology and earned his MBA in
Marketing/Finance from Keller Graduate School of Management.
Ellen S. Schnackel was hired by the city of
Dearborn, Mich., as facilities manager of the
Ford Community and Performing Arts Center.
Schnackel previously managed a 260-acre recreation facility and park in Brighton, Mich. Prior
to this, she managed the Devonshire Cultural
Center in Skokie, Ill. Schnackel has won numerous awards including IPRA's 1997
Outstanding Facility Award, 1995 Young Professional of
the Year, and 1995 Most Innovative Program
Award. Schnackel's professional memberships include the National Recreation and Park Association, IPRA, Ohio Parks and Recreation Association, and the Michigan Parks and Recreation Association. She earned a
bachelor of science from Western Michigan University and a master's of
science (Administration of Leisure Services) from Aurora (Ill.) University.
Valerie Kozuch, program coordinator for the West Suburban Special
Recreation Association was elected President-Elect of the Special Recreation Associations of Northern Illinois (SRANI) for the year 2000. Kozuch
will assume the president's position in 2001. Scott Dempsey, a recreation specialist with the West Suburban Special Recreation Association
was elected Treasurer of the SRANI. There are 26 special recreation associations in northern Illinois serving thousands of individuals of all ages
with disabilities. Illinois attracts therapeutic recreation professionals from
across the country to work at these SRAs, which are unique to the state.
54 * Illinois Parks and Recreation * March/April 2000
PEOPLE AND PLACES
Dave Haring, CLP, has been appointed as the executive director for
the Lockport Township Park District. He will be responsible for the overall
operation of the District. Haring, a graduate of Eastern Illinois University,
spent the last year as the director of recreation for Lockport and prior to
that, worked for the Elmhurst Park District for 13 years in a variety of
positions. He is a member of the Illinois Parks and Recreation Association,
National Recreation and Parks Association and is currently active in the
Facility Management Section of IPRA.
Ron Cassidy has been named assistant manager of operations at the Glenview Park Golf
Club. Cassidy has worked in the recreation field
since 1990 in a variety of positions including
adult softball coordinator and camp site director for the Arlington Heights Park District. He
was later hired by the Des Plaines Park District
as a member of the special projects crew where
he was involved in the construction of four new
community playgrounds. Prior to joining the Glenview, he was employed
by the Town of Normal Park and Recreation Department as assistant
manager in charge of outside operations at Ironwood Golf Course. Cassidy
has an associate's degree from Harper Community College in Palatine, Ill.,
and expects to graduate from Illinois State University in May 2000 with
a bachelor's degree in Parks and Recreation Administration.
Melissa Caine was hired as athletic supervisor for the St. Charles Park
District. She received a degree from St. Mary's University of Minnesota in
1997. Previously, she worked as an accountant for Thermal-Tech Systems
in Geneva. Her interest in recreation came from a love of athletics and the
desire to experience new and exciting challenges.
Geneseo Receives Illinois FIRST Grant
Senator Todd Sieben
and Representative
Jerry Mitchell were in
Geneseo on Jan. 4,
2000, to present the
Geneseo Park District
with a $175, 000
check as a part of the
Illinois FIRST Program. Administered
through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs
(DCCA), the grant will go towards two projects of the park district. The
Geneseo Community Park District will purchase 8.2 acres of land from
the Geneseo Community School District #228 known as the Junior
High School Athletic Field located in the 400 block of the East North
Street in Geneseo. And, the Geneseo Community Park District will install
four new aquatic slides at the current outdoor pool located at 521 East
North Street in Geneseo. With the recent introduction of the Aquatics
Parks into the area, the four new water slides will bring added fun and
excitement to our outdoor pool. Slides will be added to the five and three
foot sections of the main pool and one to the wading pool area.
Tom Schau wins "Friends" E-bike Giveaway
Tom Schau (at left), partner in
Burnham & Flower—the marketing
firm for the IPARKS risk management program—won a
shiny, red E-bike raffled by the Friends of Illinois Parks at the
2000 IAPD/IPRA Annual Conference. The E-bike is a
battery-powered electronic bicycle made by Iacocca's EV
Global Motors Co.
Schau lived in Peoria for 15 years before moving recently to
Kalamazoo, Mich., with his wife, Judy, and their three boys.
"Michigan is not as organized as Illinois regarding parks
and recreation," says Schau. "It just becomes part of a larger
government and there aren't as many activities as the park
districts in Illinois. We miss that."
Why did he buy five raffle tickets from Friends of Illinois
Parks?
"Friends is a good cause," says Schau.
Tell us about your friends.
People from all walks of life are making a difference in parks
and recreation. These "friends" make monetary contributions, give
their time to clean-up parks and forest preserves,
teach classes or coach sports teams. Friends of Illinois Parks is
a nonprofit organization that strives to involve more
citizens statewide as friends in these ways and others, such
as legislative advocacy.
For more information about the E-bike
or Friends of Illinois Parks:
Contact Friends of Illinois Parks, 211 E.
Monroe Street, Springfield, IL 62701;
toll-free 1-877-523-4558 or
www.ILparks.org
Illinois Parks and Recreation * March/April 2000 * 55
PEOPLE AND PLACES
Plaques Honoring J.C. Blair Dedicated in Urbana, Fort Massac
Two identical bronze plaques were
commissioned and dedicated this
past October—one at the Urbana
Park District and one at Fort
Massac State Park—in honor of
Joseph Cullen (J.C.) Blair (1871-1960), considered the "Father of
the Illinois State Park System."
The plaques recognize Blair's efforts to preserve and beautify the
state of Illinois through the establishment of Fort Massac State Park
and the Illinois State Park system as well as his work with the state legislature to benefit park
districts. A horticulturist and the Dean of the University of Illinois' College of Agriculture, Blair was the first president of the Illinois Association of Park Districts in 1928.
IPRA Awarded Accreditation from PDRMA
Working to make its parks and recreational programs and services safe and
cost effective for the members it serves has been an ongoing goal of the
Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA). These loss prevention
efforts have paid off in many ways including a safety award from the
Association's risk pool. Since November, 1997, IPRA has been a member
of the Park District Risk Management Agency (PDRMA), which is a self-insurance risk pool
made up of 125 Illinois park and recreation agencies.
The risk pool annually conducts an in-depth review of its members' loss
prevention programs and IPRA's review earned it a rating of Excellent,
Level A. PDRMA awarded IPRA a final score of 98.49%. Points are
awarded in areas such as recreation safety practices, claims management,
hazard identification, and many other loss prevention areas. IPRA receives
an award plaque and a cash award of $1,500 which can be used to further
improve risk management programs. In addition, as a result of averaging
a score of 95% on the past two safety program evaluations, IPRA was
awarded PDRMA's highest award which is accreditation.
Kane County Forest Preserve Acquires Two Parcels of Land
Jack E. Cook, president of the Forest Preserve District of Kane County,
announces the completion of an acquisition of 196 acres in Plato Township. The acquisition is an expansion of the Fitchie Creek Forest Preserve
and includes another half-mile of Fitchie Creek and its associated wetlands. This site contains a glacial kame and represents the terminal
moraine that created many of the unique features of northern Kane County.
Also, the district acquired 219 acres of Sugar Grove Township, adjacent
to the Hannaford Woods Forest Preserve and Waubonsee Community
College. The beautiful stretch of Blackberry Creek is an integral part of
this forest preserve. The name of the new preserve will be M. Leonard &
Madeline Nickels Family Farm Forest Preserve, honoring the Nickels family, longtime residents of Kane County. The district received a LAWCON grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to assist with the
acquisition.
56* Illinois Parks and Recreation* March/April 2000