Lockport Park District Board President Is Chairman Of IL Park Board

LOCKPORT, IL — Jeff Rigoni, President of the Lockport Township Park District Board of Commissioners, was recently elected chairman of the Illinois Association of Park Districts’ Board of Trustees, according to a news release from IAPD.

Rigoni was first elected to the IAPD board in 2017, and has served as vice chairman since 2020. As chairman, he 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, the release states.

Rigoni will work with the 19-member board to advise the association in providing service, research, advocacy, public awareness, and educational programs to its membership of 360 park, recreation, and conservation agencies and nearly 100 affiliated business partners, the organization said in a release.

“Jeff is a dynamic leader with nearly three decades of service to parks, recreation, and conservation,” Peter Murphy, IAPD President and Chief Executive Officer, said in a release. “He is an outstanding champion for the benefits of parks and recreation, and his vast experience and genuine enthusiasm for enhancing the quality of life for Illinois citizens are traits that will advance IAPD’s mission of keeping Illinois park districts, forest preserves, conservation, and recreation agencies the best in the nation.”

Rigoni serves on several IAPD committees including the Ambassadors, Board Development, Constitutional Bylaws, Membership, Program, and Nominating committees. He is chair of the association’s Honors and Resolutions and Executive Committees, and he serves on the IAPD/IPRA Joint Distinguished Park and Recreation Accreditation Committee and Joint Legislative Committee, according to the organization. He is the co-chair of the IAPD/IPRA Joint Conference Committee and is co-vice chair of the Joint Coordinating Council.

Rigoni also received the 2021 IAPD Commissioner of the Year Award from the Illinois Association of Park Districts, and he is a Master Board Member through the IAPD Board Member Development Program, the organization said.

He was first elected to the Lockport Township Park District board in 1997, and served as vice president for 10 years and has been president for the past eight years, according to the release.

He was instrumental in bringing three successful public-private partnerships to the park district: Legacy Paintball Park, Hellsgate Haunted House, and ComEd demand response program, according to a news release. He also played a key role in the park district’s acquisition of 80 acres of land from the State of Illinois for $1.