Johnson reflects on 52 years as Schaumburg Park District commissioner as he steps down

Though Dave Johnson wasn’t a founder of the Schaumburg Park District, his 52 years on the district’s board of commissioners spanned an expansive period of growth and change for the community.

The 83-year-old decided to forgo another term so he and his wife Carol can spend more of that time with their grandchildren. He estimates he’s committed 18,000 volunteer hours to the park board during his tenure.

“It’s been really enjoyable,” he said of his decades of service.

Only a Channahon Park District board member has served longer, Johnson said.

In 2017, he was even named Commissioner of the Year by the Illinois Association of Park Districts and the Illinois Parks and Recreation Association.

“I was really surprised, and I think that was great!” Johnson said.

The Johnsons moved to Schaumburg in 1968 from San Diego where they were also active in the community. Working for Montgomery Ward, he expected to move again, but the couple was pleased when they learned they were staying put.

Johnson continued to work for Montgomery Ward until it went out of business, employing his experience with paint and tool sales at other companies until his retirement.

His service to the Schaumburg Park District began in 1973, when it was 10 years old and he was 31.

He wanted to bring a business sense to the district, which he felt was lacking in various aspects, including registration and recreational facilities for the burgeoning suburb.

Since then, the park district has grown from a mere two neighborhood centers and one outdoor pool to an organization with 15 major facilities, 110 parks and more than 1,000 programs and events each year. Over his tenure, he has worked with four executive directors.

Staying one step ahead of developers, the park district ensured new subdivisions got high-quality parks. But Johnson’s favorite achievement was the acquisition of the land that would become the 135-acre Spring Valley Nature Sanctuary and Volkening Heritage Farm. During the 1990s, he helped relocate an 1880s-era barn from a former Schaumburg homestead to its current site on the farm.

Johnson is happy about the role the park district played in preserving the Schaumburg Golf Club as a 27-hole course too. He considers the ballpark now known as Wintrust Field a boon for the community, even if the park district’s more limited revenue sources led it to sell its half to the village as upgrades continued.

Current Board President Bob Schmidt, who will soon become the longest serving commissioner himself, said Johnson’s presence will be missed after his last meeting next Thursday.

“He’s been a mentor to many of the board members as we’ve grown,” Schmidt said. “He’s just been a real asset to the board.”

Schmidt is hopeful even the newest commissioners have absorbed enough from Johnson to help pass along that institutional knowledge to future commissioners.