IAPD Honors Outstanding State Legislators

Representatives John D'Amico of Chicago, Brent Hassert of Romeoville and Karen May of Highland Park earned the honor of being named Illinois Association of Park Districts' 2006 Outstanding Legislator of the Year, thanks to their support of Illinois park, recreation and conservation initiatives in the General Assembly. The trio was presented with awards during the annual awards luncheon held in conjunction with the IAPD/IRPA conference in January.

The legislators were nominated by their constituent park districts and the IAPD Board of Trustees.

Representative D'Amico was instrumental in helping to develop a 100 percent accessible playground in Morton Grove and is now working with the Chicago Park District on a similar project. He also co-sponsored legislation creating safer speed limits in parks.

Representative Hassert was cited for his role in negotiations that allowed the Lockport Township Park District to purchase nearly 320 acres to create the Prairie Bluff Public Golf Club and a recreational site that will include baseball, Softball and soccer fields; walking trails; and a host of other recreational opportunities. He also helped assure that 700 acres of state-owned open space, known as the Prairie Bluff Preserve, would be leased to the Lockport Township Park District and the Forest Preserve District of Will County.

Representative May led a coalition working to remove mercury from the environment. Further, she demonstrated exemplary legislative leadership on issues important to park, recreation and conservation agencies. In 2006, she was one of four leaders in the Illinois House of Representatives who brokered a successful deal to significantly increase Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) funding, and, at the same time, fight off attempts to raid the fund.

March 2007/Illinois Parks/17