Park district honors Brian Thoren with excellence award

Brian Thoren received the Dedicated to Excellence Award at the June 28 Des Plaines Park board meeting from Corrie Guynn, assistant superintendent of Parks and Planning.

Thoren has been with the district for 20 years, first in the Maintenance Department, then as part of the Special Projects Team from 1998-2003, and since then as a member of the landscape crew under landscape Designer and Supervisor Steve Krotz.

Thoren is a highly skilled technician, working across the park district in tree planting and removal, perennial planting, turf renovation and restoration, retaining wall installation and a variety of other projects.

He holds an Illinois Pesticide Applicators license for turf. Recent park landscaping can be seen at the renovated Cherokee Park and the brand-new pocket park on Second Avenue.

Krotz noted, "Brian is often put in charge of large-scale landscaping because the finished work is consistently high quality and represents the best of what we can do. Brian also does an excellent job with our seasonal staff. He has a great personality, he's patient, and is an excellent teacher."

The Dedicated to Excellence Award is presented three times a year to employees who have made a positive contribution to the park district. Potential recipients are nominated by park district staff members and evaluated by the Employee Relations Committee and administrators for creativity, responsibility, community relations and customer service.

For more information about the Des Plaines Park District, visit www.DPParks.org.

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