Lockport Township Park District president named chairman-elect of statewide association

The Illinois Association of Park Districts’ board of trustees recently confirmed Jeff Rigoni, president of the Lockport Township Park District, as chairman-elect of its 19-member board, according to a news release from the IAPD.

Rigoni joined the IAPD board in 2017. The IAPD honored Rigoni with its 2021 IAPD Commissioner of the Year Award. Rigoni also is a master board member through the IAPD Board Member Development Program, according to the release.

He curretnly serves on several IAPD committees: ambassadors, board development, Executive, Honors and Resolutions, and nominating committees. Rigoni chairs the association’s constitutional bylaws, membership and program committees. He is the IAPD program chair on the IAPD/IPRA Joint Conference Committee.

Rigoni also serves on the IAPD/Illinois Park and Recreation Association Joint Distinguished Park and Recreation Accreditation Committee and Joint Legislative Committee. He also serves on the Joint Coordinating Council.

“Jeff has an unmatched enthusiasm and contagious energy for promoting the array of benefits that parks, recreation and conservation bring to the citizens of Illinois,” Peter Murphy, IAPD president and chief executive officer, said in the release. “We are fortunate to have his tremendous leadership skills guiding the IAPD mission and helping to advance Illinois park districts, forest preserves and recreation agencies.”

As chairman-elect, Rigoni 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,” according to the release.

He will also work with the board “to advise the association in providing service, research, advocacy, public awareness and educational programs to its membership of 350 park, recreation, and conservation agencies and nearly 100 affiliated business partners,” according to the release.

Rigoni was elected to the Lockport Township Park District board in 1997. He served 10 years as vice president and the past seven years as its president. He helped bring Legacy Paintball Park, Hellsgate Haunted House and the Com Ed demand response program to the park district. Rigoni also helped the park district acquire 80 acres of land from the state of Illinois for $1.

According to the release, Rigoni has served eight years on the Lockport Zoning Board of Appeals, four as its chairman. Rigoni earned his degree in political science from Lewis University in Romeoville, according to the release.