Plainfield Park District

Enjoy Werk Force Brewery's award-winning selection of beers along with a catered dinner from Happy Belly’s scratch kitchen at the Inaugural Pints for Parks set for 6 to 9 p.m., November 14. Proceeds from the event benefit the scholarship fund for the Friends of the Plainfield Park District Foundation, which assists the Park District in its mission of providing recreation opportunities for all residents. Cost is $75 per person, which includes two drink tickets, a raffle ticket and a catered dinner. Acoustic singer/song-writer Seth Mercer is the evening's entertainer, playing originals and cover songs that span from the 70's to today. Register online at https://lnkd.in/g8FV9KUW. Current raffle baskets include: - Bourbon basket (Blanton's, EH Taylor Small Batch, Eagle Rare, Weller Special Reserve, Buffalo Trace) - Bloody basket (Tito's Vodka, Frank's RedHot Bloody Mary Mix, summer sausage, cheese) - TR Miller Heating, Cooling & Plumbing - NuMark Credit Union - Plainfield-Shorewood Area Chamber of Commerce - Associated Orthodontics - Moravec Orthodontics - Plainfield River Tubing - ServPro - Weblinx - Community Digital Displays - And more! Thank you to our sponsors! Presenting Sponsor: D'Arcy Buick GMC Dinner Sponsor: Window World Drinks Sponsor: Business Knowledge Systems

For the second straight year, the Plainfield Park District was chosen the BEST park district in the 2024 Herald-News Best of Will County Readers’ Choice Awards. The Park District will be honored at the Best of Will County Readers’ Choice Winners Celebration scheduled for December 9 at the Jacob Henry Mansion in Joliet. Founded in 1966, the Plainfield Park District is the 9th largest park district in the State of Illinois, serving over 110,000 residents in Will and Kendall counties including the areas of Plainfield, Joliet, Romeoville, Crest Hill and Bolingbrook. In 2024, the District earned its second National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management as selected by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). The District also was recognized as an Illinois Distinguished Accredited Agency in early 2024 for excellence in delivering parks and recreation services. The accreditation is a rigorous evaluation process by a joint committee of park and recreation professionals and elected officials and includes having to meet various standards and criteria in providing exceptional park and recreation services to the community. In 2022, the District joined the ranks of elite park and recreation agencies across the country by earning accreditation through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) and the NRPA. CAPRA accreditation is the only national accreditation for park and recreation agencies, and is a measure of an agency’s overall quality of operation, management and service to the community. https://lnkd.in/g2hfNsM7

The Plainfield Park District is bringing a finalist medal home to Plainfield! While we didn’t win the grand plaque this time, we are honored to have been a finalist for the second straight year for the 2024 National Gold Medal Awards in Parks and Recreation Management. Pictured are (front row, from left) Park Board Vice President Heath Wright, Park Board President Bill Thoman, Park Board Commissioner Tracee Steele, Park District Director of Planning Bob Collins, (second row) Park District Executive Assistant Heather Caldwell, Park District Director of Recreation & Facilities Andrea Juricic, Park District Director of Marketing & Community Outreach Josh Hendricks, Park District Deputy Director Maureen Nugent, and Park District Executive Director Carlo Capalbo. 

Join us for our Pints for Parks event November 14. Register online at https://lnkd.in/g8FV9KUW.

Congratulations to NuMark Credit Union for being named a Best Friend of Illinois Parks - Mid-Sized Business by the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD). NuMark and its representatives will be honored at the IAPD's Best of the Best Awards Gala to be held October 25 at Chevy Chase Country Club in Wheeling. NuMark has been serving the southwest suburbs of Chicago for over 70 years. They have 13 Chicagoland branches, including two in the Plainfield Park District. They have advertised and sponsored events with the Park District since 2016. They have been involved in a variety of different areas with the District including sponsoring numerous different events such as: · Fourth of July Fireworks · Daddy-Daughter Dance · Egg-citing Activities Egg Hunts · Patriotic Picnic · Movies in the Park · Autumn Family Fun Fest · Grinchmas on the Green · Movies in the Park · Cruise to Village Green · Party at PARC “As a credit union, NuMark believes giving back to the community is of the utmost importance – whether it’s financially or through volunteer efforts,” said NuMark Credit Union Regional Manager Karen Huston. “Our values align perfectly with the Plainfield Park District, which provides needed services to the surrounding communities. We make a conscious effort to support organizations that we believe are making a difference in the community and its members, like the park district has done for many years.” “NuMark, previously NorthStar, has been a great supporter of the Park District since I’ve been here,” said Plainfield Park District Executive Director Carlo Capalbo. “And not only do they sponsor various events, but they consistently add value to those events.” Plainfield Park District is not the only recipient of NuMark’s generosity. Other examples of community support include: · NuMark Credit Union, 1340 WJOL staff and a large gathering of community members met at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery for the annual Flags in Day event on May 24. The event includes placing American flags at all of the gravesites of veterans buried there in preparation for Memorial Day. · Also in May of 2024, NuMark partnered with Northern Illinois Food Bank to hold a mobile food market for residents of Hope Manor at Joliet’s VA Clinic. NuMark volunteers handed out fresh produce, canned goods and other household grocery needs to residents. · Participating in various local festivals and walking in parades such as Aurora Pride Parade, Paw Paw Labor Day Parade, Joliet Mexican Independence Day Parade, Earlville Lions Club Lions Fest Parade, and more. “We believe that the most successful businesses are the ones that put an effort into connecting with and supporting the community," Huston said. "NuMark works hard to exemplify that mentality every day. We look forward to our continued partnership with the Plainfield Park District, as well as helping to make our communities happier, healthier, and safer for everyone living in them.”

Georganna Quinn was recently honored as the Park District's HEART Champion for August. HEART stands for Help, Empathize, Acknowledge, Respect and Thank.  Georganna was honored for helping out whenever it is needed. She is known as a diligent worker. If you ever need help with anything, simply ask Georganna! Congratulations!

Ellie Bearden was recently honored as the Park District's HEART Champion for July. HEART stands for Help, Empathize, Acknowledge, Respect and Thank. Ellie was honored for helping with Ottawa Street Pool's Glow Night, filling in for a guard during swim lessons to allow for a break, and helping swim test a camper on her break. Congratulations Ellie!

The Plainfield Park District recently announced the hiring of Joseph Quinn as director of parks. Joe has served as a division manager, parks and grounds, in the parks department the last two-plus years. His responsibilities included managing all parks and grounds maintenance work, special event equipment setup and special projects; schedules and supervision of work crews; and overseeing the completion of general maintenance-related projects. He also assisted the previous director of parks in creating a list of board- and director-prioritized projects. Joe came to Plainfield after serving as the athletic field specialist at Addison Park District, where his duties included full care of all athletic fields, repairs to equipment and vehicles, tree trimming and removal, pesticide and herbicide application, snow removal and aiding in all areas of the parks and grounds department. Joe has extensive auto mechanic skills, with previous positions including general manager at Batavia Auto Mart, and working as an independent mechanic contractor through ARL Automotive in Warrenville. He previously served as head grounds at Addison Trail High School (2005-2019), where his duties included oversight of 90 acres of property, the grounds crew, grounds department, large projects and day-to-day operations. Joe was also responsible for planning and designing landscape projects, and maintaining and repairing all grounds equipment, tractors, trucks, driver’s education cars and buses. Joe began his career in 1996 in Glenbard Township High School District 87, serving as the temporary custodian at Glenbard West High School before advancing to permanent custodian and grounds crew at Glenbard North High School. He then returned to Glenbard West as head grounds in 2004, overseeing the grounds crew, planning large projects and day-to-day operations of 19 acres of property. Joe resides in Yorkville with his wife Nancy. In his free time, he is the driveline specialist/clutch mechanic as part of the pit crew for a top alcohol dragster.

The Plainfield Park District announced today that its Annual Budget document earned the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). This is the eighth straight year the Park District has earned the distinction. A press release issued by the GFOA stated, “The award represents a significant achievement by the Plainfield Park District. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, the Plainfield Park District had to satisfy nationally-recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation.” The guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity's budget serves as: - a policy document - a financial plan - an operations guide - a communications device According to the GFOA, budget documents must be rated "proficient" in all four categories, and in the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award. The GFOA advances excellence in government finance by providing best practices, professional development, resources and practical research for more than 22,500 members and the communities they serve.

In honor of Park and Recreation Month, we are highlighting the essential and powerful role our park and recreation staff play in building a better community. First up are our seasonal workers in the parks department. "Our seasonals are a very important part of our department, especially during the mowing season," said Interim Director of Parks Joe Quinn. "They help us keep up on mowing, string trimming, weeding, tree pruning, and bush trimming. They are always willing to do any kind of work and work overtime if needed. All of our seasonal employees are hard working, dedicated team players." Pictured are (from left) Yulissa Lozano, Israel Lozano, Brett Mouw and Cole Menefee. Not pictured are Guy Desimone and Dave Soehlke.