2007 IAPD
Rising Star Award Presented to Mark Gartland
Mark Gartland was recognized with the Illinois Association
of Park District’s Rising Star Award during the
Illinois Park and Recreation Conference Awards Luncheon
held January 25, 2008 . With over 2000 parks and recreation
professionals and elected officials in attendance, Mr.
Gartland was presented this award by Scott Triphan, Board
of Trustees Chair of the Illinois Association of Park
Districts (IAPD) and Dr. Ted Flickinger, President and
CEO of IAPD. The Rising Star Award recognizes up-and-coming
board members who have completed a minimum of one year,
but not more than six years of service as a park board
member and who has demonstrated exemplary performance
in duties and responsibilities as a board member. Mark
Gartland is most deserving of IAPD’s Rising Star
Award. During his short tenure as a member of the Park
District of Oak Park’s Board of Commissioners
Mark has made remarkable strides in promoting the importance
of parks and recreation in the Oak Park Community and
in establishing the Park District as a benchmark organization
throughout the state of Illinois .
Mark first became involved with the Park District of
Oak Park when he volunteered for the District’s
Infrastructure Committee in August 2001. This citizen
led effort resulted in establishing a solid future direction
for the Park District. Mark’s involvement with
the Infrastructure Committee lead to his election to
the Board of Park Commissioners in April 2003. One of
his earliest initiatives was to move forward with a stalled
skate park, gaining support in the community to get this
popular facility built. The Active Sport Area, featuring
a skate park and basketball courts, opened at Stevenson
Park in fall 2003.
Mark and the rest of the Park Board members have quickly
and decisively steered the park district toward a new
era of financial sustainability and excellence in programming
and customer service. As a Park Board member, Mark has
been involved with the development the Parks and Recreation
Comprehensive Master Plan, the completion of the Barrie
Park Remediation Project and the passing of the 2005 “Renew
Our Park” Referendum.
As a result of this successful park referendum, the
Park District is currently carrying out a 5-year Capital
Improvement Plan. Seven park site planning processes,
two facility planning processes and one dog park planning
process have been completed since September 2005. The
Andersen Park Renovation Project was completed in 2006
and Carroll and Field Parks were renovated in 2007. The
renovation of Field Park was partially funded though
a $400,000 Illinois Department of Natural Resources OSLAD
grant.
ost recently, in early 2007 Mark was reelected to the
Park Board and appointed President of the Park Board of
Commissioners. Mark Gartland has proven to be a “Rising
Star” for the Park District of Oak Park and the entire
Oak Park community. His self-less efforts and analytical
and all-encompassing leadership style have changed the
history of the Park District and have made a lasting contribution
to parks and recreation in our community.
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