February 6, 2019 – The Woodridge Park District received multiple awards at the 2019 Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA) state conference held on January 24-26 in Chicago.
Woodridge Park District Executive Director Mike Adams was presented with the IPRA’s Professional of the Year Award, an award that is given to an IPRA member who has made an impact within the parks and recreation industry. Over the course of his 31-year career in the park and recreation industry, Mike has contributed to the park and recreation industry, as well as the Woodridge community.
Mike is a current member of the Illinois Distinguished Accreditation Agency Committee, helping other agencies in the state achieve Distinguished Accreditation status. Locally he serves as vice president of the South East Association of Special Parks and Recreation, assisting in their mission of providing recreational opportunities for people with disabilities. Additionally, Mike is a current member and past president of the Woodridge Rotary Club, race director for the Woodridge Rotary Mini Triathlon and a youth coach for both recreational and club basketball and soccer for the last 20 years.
Public Relations Manager for the Woodridge Park District, Megan Pettit, was awarded the Distinguished Member of the Year for IPRA’s Communications and Marketing section. Each year, a member who represents excellence in leadership, commitment and passion to the section is recognized. Megan’s nomination stated that she “excelled in her leadership role as Director and brings a natural energy to the section.
Lastly, Woodridge Park officials were awarded the 2018 Overall Winner of the IPRA Outstanding Facility and Park Award for the construction of the Athletic Recreation Facility (ARC). Open since January 2017, the ARC received the highest total points among entries in its category which recognizes public agencies for their exceptional and unique achievements in design and development of a new facility.
