Schaumburg Park District 1st Vice President is Sergeant-at-Arms of Statewide Association for Parks

Bob Schmidt, 1st vice president of the Schaumburg Park District, was recently appointed sergeant-at-arms of the Illinois Association of Park Districts's (IAPD) Board of Trustees.

As sergeant-at-arms, Schmidt 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 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.

"Bob's dedication to community service is second to none, and he understands firsthand the positive influences of parks and recreation," said Peter Murphy, IAPD President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are fortunate to have him working to advance the mission of parks, recreation, and conservation statewide."

Schmidt joined the IAPD Program Committee in 2007 and served as chair of the committee in 2013. He has served on the IAPD/Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA) Joint Distinguished Park and Recreation Accreditation Committee since 2008. He joined the IAPD/IPRA Joint Conference Committee in 2011 and served as the co-chair in 2014.

Schmidt was elected to the Schaumburg Park District's Board of Commissioners in 2003.

He was a teacher for Schaumburg School District 54 for 32 years. He served as the boys and girls soccer coach at Schaumburg High School from 1994 to 2016 and has been active with St. Peter Lutheran Church, the Schaumburg Athletic Association, and the Village of Schaumburg.

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.