Naperville park board member stepping down

Suzanne Hart is about to exchange one political hat for another.

The Naperville Republican won election this week to the Will County Board from District 3 and is getting ready to be seated in early December.

At the same time, she's preparing to step down in about two weeks from her position on the Naperville Park District board, where she's served since 2007.

Hart's last meeting as a park commissioner will be a Nov. 16 budget workshop.

The remaining two years of her term will be filled in the April 2011 local election. The full terms of three other park commissioners, Andrew Schaffner, Marie Todd and Ron Ory, also will be contested in that election.

“I'm going to miss the park district tremendously,” Hart said Thursday, “but I'm leaving it in great hands.”

Hart joined the park board during a tumultuous time when commissioners regularly took verbal shots at each other and the executive director's post was rapidly becoming a revolving door.

Things have quieted considerably since then, and Hart gives much of the credit to the board's 2008 decision to hire Ray McGury as executive director.

Hart said McGury, who came with a lengthy background in law enforcement, steadied the district and board with his ability to build consensus, his willingness to spend time in the community, his communication skills and his trust in his department heads to do their jobs without micromanaging.

During her tenure, Hart served a term as board president and in 2009 received the Rising Star Award, presented by the Illinois Association of Park Districts in recognition of her leadership and service.

She said her one disappointment was the park board's inability to address its lack of indoor recreation space.

“No matter how you put it, there's still an unmet need for more indoor space in Naperville,” she said.

A push several years ago to build a recreation center was rejected soundly by voters and helped trigger some of the discord that once plagued the district.

“The right fit still needs to be found,” she said, “but I have full, 100 percent faith that the board will come up with something.”

McGury had high praise for Hart's “passion for the parks” and her leadership abilities.

“I think the board, staff and community as a whole will miss her,” he said. “She was president during some turbulent times here and she was able to keep the board together ... she was a calming force.”

While Hart promises to stay involved with the park district, her main concern starting next month will be her new gig in Will County.

She said she's been impressed by that board's ability to maintain a balanced budget in difficult times.

“I think they've done an excellent job for what they're working with,” she said. “I'm really excited about it because it will be a whole new experience.”

Nominating petition packets for the remaining two years of Hart's unexpired term are available at the park district administration building, 320 W. Jackson Ave. Petitions require at least 312 signatures and may be filed with the district beginning Dec. 13.