Ted Schulz, President of the New Lenox Community Park District Board, was recently re-elected as Vice-Chairman of the Illinois Association of Park Districts’ (IAPD) Board of Trustees.
As vice-chairman, Schulz will assist the association with its mission of advancing Illinois park districts, forest preserves, conservation, recreation, and special recreation agencies in their ability to preserve natural resources and improve the quality of life for all people in Illinois. He will work with the 19-member board to advise the association in providing service, research, advocacy, public awareness, and educational programs to its membership of 350 park, recreation, and conservation agencies and nearly 100 affiliated business partners.
“Ted’s wealth of knowledge combined with his enthusiasm for improving the quality of life through parks, recreation, and conservation are evident in his active involvement with the New Lenox Community Park District,” said Peter Murphy, IAPD President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are fortunate to have his expertise on the IAPD Board of Trustees as we work to advance the mission of park, recreation, and conservation agencies statewide.”
Schulz serves on the IAPD Membership Committee and is Chair of the IAPD Program Committee. He is the IAPD Co-Chair of the IAPD/Illinois Park and Recreation Association Joint Conference Committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Parks Association Risk Services.
He won the IAPD Rising Star Award in 2019 for demonstrating exemplary performance in duties and responsibilities as a board member serving his first term.
Schulz was elected to the New Lenox Community Park District board in 2013. During his tenure, several OSLAD grant programs have been completed including the Leigh Creek South Park Development, Lincoln-Way Special Recreation Building, the Walker Country Estates Splash Pad, and the current Sky Harbor Park Development. He is active with the New Lenox Friends of the Parks and a member of the New Lenox Lions Club.
IAPD was established in 1928 and is the oldest state association for parks, recreation, and conservation in America. The association serves more than 2,100 elected park, recreation and forest preserve district board members who govern more than 350 agencies employing 40,000 individuals.
IAPD strives to improve Illinois’ quality of life through park districts, forest preserves, conservation, and recreation agencies by establishing grants and other new revenue streams for park land, facilities, and services; educating the public about the positive effects parks and recreation have on communities; and meeting the problem of decreasing open space in Illinois