Bartlett Parks vice president elected to state board of trustees
Lori Palmer, vice president of the Bartlett Park District, was recently elected vice chairman of the Illinois Association of Park Districts' board of trustees.
As vice chairman, Palmer 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.
She 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 360 park, recreation, and conservation agencies and nearly 100 affiliated business partners.
"Lori's unwavering energy and tremendous enthusiasm for promoting the benefits of parks, recreation and conservation is inspiring," said Peter Murphy, IAPD president and CEO.
"She has dedicated more than two decades of service to her local park district, and the wealth of experience and knowledge that she brings to the IAPD board are tremendous assets that will greatly benefit our mission of helping Illinois parks, recreation, and conservation thrive."
Palmer is a member of IAPD's Program Committee, Research Advisory Council and Friends of Illinois Parks Foundation. She served as the IAPD conference chairwoman of the 2020 IAPD/Illinois Park and Recreation Association's Joint Conference Committee.
Palmer was elected to the Bartlett Park District board in 1997, and has served two, 2-year terms as president, vice president and treasurer. During her time on the board, the park district has grown from 26 parks to 46.
She was a member of the park district's strategic planning process and People for Parks, a community group that rallied for the purchase of 38 acres, which now serves as the site of the park district's community center.
She has volunteered for numerous park district events. She has served on the National Recreation and Park Association's National Forum and the National Awards Committee.
She has been involved with the creation of intergovernmental agreements with the village and school district, and she helped to initiate an agreement with the state of Illinois, the DuPage County Forest Preserve District, and the Bartlett Park District for use of space at James "Pate" Philip State Park.
She has been an active member of the community, volunteering her time in the schools, sports, boosters, park district events, community groups, the women's golf league and special events. She earned a Master Board Member designation through the Illinois Association of Park Districts' Board Member Development Program.
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 360 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.
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