Hoffman Estates Park District Vice President Elected Trustee of Statewide Association
Robert Kaplan, Vice President of the Hoffman Estates Park District, was recently elected to the Illinois Association of Park Districts' (IAPD) Board of Trustees.
As an IAPD Trustee, Kaplan 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 more than 350 park, recreation, and conservation agencies and nearly 100 affiliated business partners.
"Robert is an outstanding proponent of enhancing the quality of life in Illinois through the services of park districts, forest preserves, conservation, recreation and special recreation agencies," said Peter Murphy, IAPD President and Chief Executive Officer. "He is a dynamic individual with a strong commitment to the park and recreation field, and I know that with his guidance and expertise, Illinois parks, recreation, and conservation will thrive and continue to rank among the nation's best."
Kaplan was appointed to fill a vacancy on the IAPD Board in April 2021 and was elected to the board in January 2022. He serves on the IAPD Honors and Resolutions and Program Committees and is a four-year member of IAPD's Board Member Development Program, receiving a Master Board Member award for his achievements in the program in 2019.
He was elected to the Hoffman Estates Park District Board in 2015 and has previously served as president and treasurer. Prior to his election, he was a Community Representative with the park board for more than ten years. He has served on all park board committees including administration and finance, recreation, buildings and grounds, and the Forward Planning Committee that formulated the 2014-2019 Comprehensive Master Plan.
Kaplan is a local attorney with an MBA from Roosevelt University. He is active in the local bar association and is a current board member and past president of the Beth Tikvah Congregation in Hoffman Estates. He also serves as a trustee on the Friends of HEParks Foundation.
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.