Bill Text: IL SR0181 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Congratulates Ryan Risinger on his retirement from the Buffalo Grove Park District.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2023-05-05 - Resolution Adopted [SR0181 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SR0181-Introduced.html


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1
SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to
3congratulate Ryan Risinger on the occasion of his retirement
4from the Buffalo Grove Park District on May 26, 2023; and
5 WHEREAS, Ryan Risinger was first employed by the Buffalo
6Grove Park District as an intern in May of 1992 after earning
7his bachelor's degree in parks and recreation from Illinois
8State University; he was hired full-time as recreation
9supervisor in November of that same year; he was then promoted
10to division manager in 1996, superintendent of recreation in
112001, director of recreation and facilities in 2010, and
12deputy director in 2013; he was named executive director on
13November 29, 2014; and
14 WHEREAS, Ryan Risinger continued his education while
15working full-time for the Buffalo Grove Park District; he
16attended Indiana University's Executive Development Program,
17North Carolina State's School of Sports Management at Oglebay,
18and Disney Institute's Keys to Success and Customer Loyalty
19Programs; he is a certified Park and Recreation Executive and
20earned his master's degree in public administration from
21Villanova in 2015; and
22 WHEREAS, Ryan Risinger became active in the Illinois Parks

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1and Recreation Association (IPRA) through the recreation
2section and eventually the administration and finance section;
3he served on the Mentoring Committee and was recognized by the
4IPRA for his efforts and contributions as Mentoring Committee
5Chairman in 2003 and 2004; he has spoken on various
6educational topics, including The Ups & Downs of Skate Parks
7and It Takes a Village: Controlling the Crisis, which focused
8on the importance of community crisis training with local law
9enforcement; he also co-authored a partnership article titled
10A Wireless Solution that was featured in the Illinois Park and
11Recreation magazine; and
12 WHEREAS, Ryan Risinger's advocacy efforts for parks and
13recreation on a national level led the Buffalo Grove Park
14District to be named National Recreation and Park
15Association's Park Champion of the Year in 2015; and
16 WHEREAS, Ryan Risinger, as executive director, was
17actively involved in the Illinois Association of Park
18Districts (IAPD) and IPRA's Distinguished Accreditation
19program committee; he served as co-chair in 2017 and chair in
202018; he remained on the committee in 2019 and 2020 and was
21co-chair in 2022; the Buffalo Grove Park District was
22accredited five times over his 30-year career; and
23 WHEREAS, Ryan Risinger was an advocate for professional

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1development and ensured that his district's staff had the
2opportunity to attend state conferences as well as
3national/regional professional development programs; he has
4been a respected and dedicated leader who promoted a positive
5work culture where people not only wanted to work but wanted to
6stay throughout their career; and
7 WHEREAS, Ryan Risinger fostered positive relationships
8with governmental agencies, including the Village of Buffalo
9Grove, school districts, the Indian Trails Public Library
10District, sports affiliate groups, and sponsors; he was an
11active member of the Rotary Club of Buffalo Grove, where he
12served as president in 2017-18; he served on the Northwest
13Special Recreation Association Board of Directors from 2015 to
142022, including as chairman in 2020; he was a member of the
15Special Leisure Services Foundation Board of Trustees in 2021
16and 2022 and was a long-standing liaison to the Buffalo Grove
17Chamber of Commerce; and
18 WHEREAS, Ryan Risinger oversaw the renovation of the
19Buffalo Grove Park District's Community Arts Center; partially
20funded with a PARC grant, the 41,000 SF LEED-certified
21facility was developed with the arts in mind; it has a
22state-of-the-art, 360 tiered-seat theater with an ADA
23accessible sound booth, concessions, box office, multipurpose
24areas, and an art gallery; the center offers over a 100

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1different classes with more than 852 performers yearly, as
2well performing arts camps that serve more than 400 campers;
3it operates as a rental hub year-round for local groups
4including churches, synagogues, arangetrams, quinceaneras,
5community outreach groups, non-profits, and other local
6government agencies; the district was honored to receive the
7distinction of Outstanding Facility Award: Division II for
8this facility by the Illinois Parks and Recreation Association
9in January of 2020; and
10 WHEREAS, Ryan Risinger's leadership enabled the district
11to complete many park developments, including the renovation
12of the district's park gem, Willow Stream Park, which received
13upgraded pathways, additional trails, a new playground, pool
14upgrades and slide, permeable paving, and a pavilion; that
15project was followed by a large renovation of Reiner Park
16(formerly Green Lake Park) with the addition of a cricket
17pitch, outdoor exercise equipment, a fishing pier, and a
18butterfly garden; he also oversaw the development of the
19Educational Gardens and Classroom at Mike Rylko Community
20Park, which encourages the community to be curious about the
21natural world with a focus on food sustainability and native
22plants; and
23 WHEREAS, Ryan Risinger also oversaw the Alcott Center
24pre-school wing renovation, the construction of the Golf Dome,

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1and the proposed Prairie Grove and Parkchester Park
2renovations, as well as the Spray 'N Play expansion and
3Amphitheater construction at Mike Rylko Community Park; and
4 WHEREAS, Ryan Risinger's legacy of service will leave a
5lasting impact on the State of Illinois parks and recreation
6field and on the community of Buffalo Grove; therefore, be it
7 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
8ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Ryan
9Risinger on his retirement from the Buffalo Grove Park
10District, and we wish him well in all his future endeavors; and
11be it further
12 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
13presented to Ryan Risinger as a symbol of our respect and
14esteem.
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