Issue link: https://pdop.uberflip.com/i/611742
3 www.pdop.org OUR MISSION: In partnership with the community, we enrich lives by providing meaningful experiences through programs, parks and facilities. 3 2015-2016 Board of Park District Commissioners Regular Park Board meetings are generally held at 7:30pm on the third Thursday of each month at the John L. Hedges Administrative Building, 218 Madison Street, Oak Park. Committee of the Whole meetings are generally held at 7:30pm the first Thursday of the month also held at the John L. Hedges Administrative Building, 218 Madison Street, Oak Park. Public comment is welcome at these meetings. There is no COW meeting in August. Kathleen Porreca Commissioner Kathleen.Porreca@pdop.org Paul Aeschleman President Paul.Aeschleman@pdop.org Victor Guarino Vice-President Victor.Guarino@pdop.org Sandy Lentz Secretary Sandy.Lentz@pdop.org David Wick Treasurer David.Wick@pdop.org Dear Residents, The Park District of Oak Park Won the National Gold Medal Award in Parks and Recreation. We also achieved National Accreditation. We are the Best of the Best! The Board of Park Commissioners and the staff would like to extend our sincerest congratulations to every- one associated with the Park District of Oak Park. Years of preparation and a commitment to the highest level of service in parks and recreation has paid off for our agency. The Park District was recently awarded the 2015 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management for communities with a population between 30,001 and 75,000 at the National Park and Recreation Conference in Nevada. Agencies are judged on their ability to address the needs of those they serve through the collective energies of citizens, staff and elected officials. The Park District's winning application highlighted how the District meets the recreation needs of its 52,000 residents by leveraging every square foot of its 84 acres of parkland through strategic partnerships, community input, and careful planning. The Park District was also judged on the National Park and Recreation Association's (NRPA) three pillars of focus, Conservation, Health & Wellness and Social Equity, which have been identified because they are areas in which parks and recreation make a tremendous impact in their communities. Our Park District is the leader in protecting open space, connecting children to nature and providing education and program- ming that helps our residents engage in conservation practices. We improve the overall health and wellness of our community by addressing the social issues of poor nutrition, obesity and physical inactivity through programs, parks, facilities and partnerships. The Park District also works hard to ensure that all members of our community have access to the resources and programming we offer through our scholarship pro- gram, partnership with WSSRA, the implementation of our ADA Plan and more. To be chosen among the elite in parks and recreation agencies across the country as the winner of the National Gold Medal Award is a proud and historic moment in Park District history. With the support, input and participation of the Oak Park community, and the hard work and dedication of the Park District staff, volunteers and Board, we've been able to offer innovative programming, expand our scholarship program, open doors to multiple new facilities, and lay the groundwork for future success. We're very proud to be recognized for these efforts as a Gold Medal winner. Also at the National Conference, the Park District was awarded accreditation through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). CAPRA accreditation is the only national accreditation for park and recreation agencies, and is a measure of an agency's overall quality of operation, management and service to the community. This mark of distinction indicates that our agency has met 151 rigorous standards related to the management and administration of lands, facilities, resources, programs, safety and services. Often the process helps identify efficiencies and heighten areas of accountability, all of which translate into higher quality services and operations to benefit the community. The Park District is only one of four park and recreation agencies in the State of Illinois to win the Gold Medal and earn both State and National Accreditation. Thank you to everyone associated with our park district for making Oak Park a great place to live, work and play. See you in the parks! Paul Aeschleman, President Park District of Oak Park Board of Commissioners P.S. Thanks to the Village of Oak Park for your support of the Park District's Annual Fall Fest event. Your participation was much appreciated.