Michael Murphy: Candidate Profile

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Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioQA Bio City: Mt. ProspectWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Mount Prospect Park Board Age: 48Family: 3 Sons, Nolan 16 (Sophomore - Prospect HS), Michael Jr. 15 (Freshman - Prospect HS) and Garrett 12 (7th Grade - Lincoln Middle School).Occupation: Sales ManagerEducation: Candidate did not respond.Civic involvement: Coach in the following local associations/organizations; Mt. Prospect Football Association, Arlington Cardinals Wrestling Club, Lincoln Middle School Wrestling Team, Mt. Prospect Park District Baseball. Founder/Co-Chair for the Hersey Alumni Golf Outing; benefiting the boys and girls golf teams at John Hersey High School (1984 Graduate)Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What programs aren't paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?I do not have details on specific programming. For me to effectively evaluate current programs, I would first want to understand how staff looks at programming. Why is a program chosen? How are the fees determined (Resident vs. Non-Resident)? How are expenses factored? There are potentially many variables involved on the expense side; building, utilities, staff, equipment, etc. Additionally while all programming may not pay for itself, the value provided to the residents of Mt. Prospect Park District should be taken into consideration.Is there any additional open space the park district needs to acquire? Please describe.In general terms, the park district should be open to talking about and/or researching the acquisition of open space. Whether it is designed for a specific use or a use to be determined later. Open space provides flexibility for the park district to create new facilities and add additional programming.Are there any unmet recreational needs? If yes, what are they and how would you propose paying for them? Or, should they wait until the economy improves?I would like to see programming designed for seniors. The baby boomers are starting to retire and their available time to use the facilities during the day is increasing. Additionally, I would like to see the parks and fields maintained to a higher standard, from turf conditions, to field play-ability and safety.Would you support sharing/pooling resources (i.e. printing, vehicles) with other local governments (school districts, village, etc.)? If so, what areas would you consider combining or merging to save money or improve efficiency?Resource sharing can be a creative way to lower expenses, but.... the devil is in the details. The challenging part is identifying resources that can be shared and creating the rules on priority when conflicts/emergencies happen. On the surface it seems great, but when you get into everyday situations, it's possible it could be more expensive or too much of a burden on staff to get the job done. In general going through exercises like this will be a benefit for everyone involved, while it may not work out, at least it was explored, and some lessons will most likely be learned.If you are a newcomer, what prompted you to run for the park board? If you're an incumbent, list your accomplishments or key initiatives in which you played a leadership role.Want to make sure the park district continues to be an asset for its residents. The park district had 11+ staff members retire a couple of years ago. With those staff retiring, there was a lot of knowledge and experience that left. Currently we have a solid staff. I want to make sure that the staff is engaged with all parts of the park district and they are always challenging themselves in making sure the Mt. Prospect Park District is one of the best park districts in the NW Suburbs.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I don't know this to be an issue. In order for the park district to be the best it can be, it has to have engaged committed staff willing to think outside the box, enhance current programming, create new programming for all the residents of Mt. Prospect Park District.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Marcus Lemonis His simple approach to business; people, product and process plus his demeanor on The Profit and the way he handles pressure is inspiringWhat's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?It is up to you to create your own path. The life lessons taught to me growing up, helped guide me in my adult life.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Spending more quality time with my wife and kids early in my marriage.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Math-Helped me create metrics for my job. I believe people want to know where they stand. Metrics provide fact based information and framework for success.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?It is up to you to create your own way. Hard work will help you go far, RESULTS will take even farther.