Bartlett Park District President Elected Chairman of Leading Statewide Association for Parks
Lori Palmer, President of the Bartlett Park District, was recently elected Chairman of the Illinois Association of Park Districts' (IAPD) Board of Trustees.
Palmer was first elected to the IAPD board in 2016 and had served as vice-chairman since 2019. As chairman, she will lead the 19-member board in advising the association in its service, research, advocacy, public awareness, and educational programs. IAPD's membership includes more than 360 park, recreation, and conservation agencies and nearly 100 affiliated business partners.
"Lori is a dynamic leader with more than two decades of service to parks, recreation, and conservation," said Peter Murphy, IAPD president and chief executive officer. "She is an incredible champion for the benefits of parks and recreation, and her vast experience combined with a genuine enthusiasm for enhancing the quality of life for Illinois citizens are traits that will advance IAPD's mission of keeping Illinois park districts, forest preserves, conservation and recreation agencies ranked among the nation's best."
Palmer was elected to the Bartlett Park District board in 1997 and prior to serving as president, she held the positions of treasurer and vice president. She currently serves on the IAPD Ambassadors, Constitutional Bylaws, Nominating, and Program Committees, as well as the Research Advisory Council and the Friends of Illinois Parks Foundation. She is chair of the Executive and Honors and Resolutions Committees and serves as a co-vice chair of the IAPD/Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA) Joint Coordinating Council.
Palmer's national endeavors include service on the National Park and Recreation Association's National Forum and the National Awards Committee.
She has been an active community volunteer and was a member of 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 works closely with legislators on park and recreation initiatives and has led the way in forming several intergovernmental agreements including an agreement with the state of Illinois and the DuPage County Forest Preserve District for use of space at James "Pate" Philip State Park.
She has been a member of IAPD's Board Member Development Program for 13 years and achieved Master Board Member status through the program in 2012.
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.