Bloomingdale Park commissioner named chairman-elect of statewide parks association
Mike Vogl, commissioner of the Bloomingdale Park District, is chairman-elect of the Illinois Association of Park Districts' board of trustees.
Vogl was appointed as IAPD's Sergeant-at-Arms in 2016 and was elected to the IAPD board the following year. As chairman-elect, he 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. He will work with the 18-member board to advise the association in providing service, research and educational programs to its membership of 360 park, recreation and conservation agencies and nearly 100 affiliated business partners.
"Mike has displayed tremendous dedication in promoting recreational opportunities, open space and natural areas both locally and statewide," said Peter Murphy, IAPD President and Chief Executive Officer. "The outstanding leadership experience that he has gained throughout his 22 years on the Bloomingdale Park District board combined with his genuine enthusiasm for enhancing the quality of life through parks, recreation and conservation are excellent traits that will assist the IAPD in its mission to keep Illinois' park districts, forest preserves, conservation and recreation agencies ranked among the nation's best."
Vogl was elected to the Bloomingdale Park District board in 1998, serving six years as President. He currently serves on the IAPD Ambassadors, Constitutional Bylaws, Membership and Program Committees and the Friends of Illinois Parks Foundation. He is a Master Board Member through IAPD's Board Member Development Program and is a member of the IAPD/Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA) Joint Legislative Committee and Joint Coordinating Council. Vogl's national involvement includes regular attendance to the National Recreation and Park Association's Annual Conference.
He was a youth basketball coach for five years and a youth baseball/softball coach for ten years. He served on the board of the Bloomingdale Youth Baseball/Softball Association for four years, serving three years as President.
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 more than 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.