Jack Claes

Elk Grove Park District Director Jack Claes to Retire After 29 years as director of parks and recreation for Elk Grove Park District, Jack Claes has announced his retirement effective March 1,1995. Claes is the only director Elk Grove has ever had. Following World War II, Claes worked for the New Jersey post office. He spent his free time in a park across the street from the post office organizing basketball, baseball and boxing teams. "In the 1940s," Claes said, "there were no park districts, not as they exist in their present form. But there was a need for organized recreation. Returning GIs wanted to play sports on organized teams, like they did in the service."

Claes said he saw opportunity — a chance to start out on the ground floor of a new field. So he enrolled in New York and Temple universities where he took courses in parks and recreation management. Between 1955 and 1965, Claes served as park director for Vineland, New Jersey; Elgin, Illinois; and Pekin, Illinois.

In 1966, Elk Grove Park District hired Claes as their first park director. Elk Grove has since grown from a district with a $100,000 budget to a Gold Medal winner with an $11 million budget. More than 400 acres of park land have been acquired under Claes' leadership.

Claes said the secret of his success was anticipating coming trends and staying current. "Today, playgrounds are not a significant part of a child's life — day camps are," said Claes. "With two parents working, the modem lifestyle calls for that. In Elk Grove, we take kids from preschool all the way up to high school. Also, programs for senior citizens have seen considerable growth. And senior programs will continue to grow. People are living longer."

Byron Forest Preserve District
Director Jack Philbrick Retires

Jack Philbrick

After 12 years of service, Jack Philbrick retired as Director of the Byron Forest Preserve District in June. He was hired in 1982 as the forest preserve's first employee.

Starting with 300 acres of cropland in 1984, the Byron Forest Preserve has grown to nearly 750 acres at four sites, which includes 450 acres of restored prairie, Jarrett Prairie Center, J. Weiskopf Observatory, an 18-hole Prairie View Golf Course and clubhouse, picnic areas, hiking paths, snowmobile trails, and an outdoor theater.

During his first year with the district, Philbrick developed an operational guide, which evolved into a long-range plan. Because 97 percent of the district's real estate tax revenues come from a single source, Commonwealth Edison's Byron Nuclear Station, Philbrick mapped out a business strategy geared to that unique position. The plan is designed to eventually create varied and sufficient alternate revenue sources to offset the depreciation of the nuclear plant and the accompanying decrease in assessed value. Philbrick's plan included implementing a centralized maintenance, operations and programming system and introducing a variety of facilities to attract the public.

With the help of State Representative Myron Olsen, Philbrick authored a law which allowed voters to form museum districts with the ability to levy taxes. The law was passed in 1991, impacting Byron as well as other communities in the state. Philbrick was also instrumental in creating a recreational path for Byron, forming the Ogle Top Open Space and Park Foundation, and proposing and supporting a number of cooperative agreements with other governmental bodies.

54 * Illinois Parks & Recreation * September/October 1994

A resolution honoring Susan K. Balling for fifteen years of service to the Northeast DuPage Special Recreation Association (NEDSRA) was recently passed by the agency's Board of Trustees. She is the Assistant to the Executive Director.

Balling was cited for setting a standard of superior quality service for individuals with disabilities; playing a vital role in the completion of a landmark cooperative facility to provide a permanent home for NEDSRA; contributing to NEDSRA's winning the National Gold Medal Award; raising over $ 1,000,000 to benefit NEDSRA's participants; and for her unending commitment to improve the quality of life and independence in the community for individuals with disabilities.

Skye Drysdale of radio station WXRX received the Rock-ford Park District Foundation's Distinguished ServiceAward for his work in raising funds for the Page Park School playground. Drysdale raised $24,000 through listener pledges after singer Bob Dylan donated $20,000 toward the playground development.

William Roeder was named the Coordinator of Leisure Services with the Recreation Division of the Peoria Park District He will coordinate special events, park/school classes and registration for the district.

Prior to being hired by Peoria, he was co-owner of R & B Productions, who managed the Spirit of Peoria riverboat. He is a graduate of Illinois State University with two Bachelor of Science degrees in Business Administration and Speech Communications.

Peoria Park District announced Ron Sanford as Acting Superintendent of the Planning/Design/Construction Division. He will be responsible for the division responsibilities, along with three staff architects.

Sanford holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Illinois and Masters degree in Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California. He has worked for the District since 1978.

The Park District of Hanover Park welcomes two new recreation supervisors to their staff. Liz Windisch is Supervisor of early childhood education and youth programs and will be in charge of the aquatics program in 1995. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration from Western Ilinois University. A former IPRA Student Board Representative, Windisch previously worked for the Elmhurst and Lombard Park Districts.

Randyll Splitt is Athletic Supervisor in charge of adult and children's sports programs. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Leisure Studies and Social Science from Northeastern IIlinois University and was Athletic Supervisor for the Wauconda Park District

CORRECTION An omission appeared in the article, "Total Quality Management," written by John Joyce and published in the July/August issue of Illinois Parks and Recreation. The second line of the third paragraph should have read: TQM is based upon the belief that 85 percent of the factors influencing quality relate to the system, such as the work environment, rules and regulations, training and available sources. According to Deming, only 15 percent of the factors influencing quality are attributable to the individual worker.      We regret this error.

Illinois Parks & Recreation * September/October 1994 * 55