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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate Ryan Risinger on the
4occasion of his retirement from the Buffalo Grove Park
5District on May 26, 2023; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Ryan Risinger was first employed by the Buffalo
7Grove Park District as an intern in May of 1992 after earning
8his bachelor's degree in parks and recreation from Illinois
9State University; he was hired full-time as recreation
10supervisor in November of that same year; he was then promoted
11to division manager in 1996, superintendent of recreation in
122001, director of recreation and facilities in 2010, and
13deputy director in 2013; he was named executive director on
14November 29, 2014; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Ryan Risinger continued his education while
16working full-time for the Buffalo Grove Park District; he
17attended Indiana University's Executive Development Program,
18North Carolina State's School of Sports Management at Oglebay,
19and Disney Institute's Keys to Success and Customer Loyalty
20Programs; he is a certified Park and Recreation Executive and
21earned his master's degree in public administration from
22Villanova in 2015; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Ryan Risinger became active in the Illinois Parks
2and Recreation Association (IPRA) through the recreation
3section and eventually the administration and finance section;
4he served on the Mentoring Committee and was recognized by the
5IPRA for his efforts and contributions as Mentoring Committee
6Chairman in 2003 and 2004; he has spoken on various
7educational topics, including The Ups & Downs of Skate Parks
8and It Takes a Village: Controlling the Crisis, which focused
9on the importance of community crisis training with local law
10enforcement; he also co-authored a partnership article titled
11A Wireless Solution that was featured in the Illinois Park and
12Recreation magazine; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Ryan Risinger's advocacy efforts for parks and
14recreation on a national level led the Buffalo Grove Park
15District to be named National Recreation and Park
16Association's Park Champion of the Year in 2015; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Ryan Risinger, as executive director, was
18actively involved in the Illinois Association of Park
19Districts (IAPD) and IPRA's Distinguished Accreditation
20program committee; he served as co-chair in 2017 and chair in
212018; he remained on the committee in 2019 and 2020 and was
22co-chair in 2022; the Buffalo Grove Park District was
23accredited five times over his 30-year career; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Ryan Risinger was an advocate for professional
2development and ensured that his district's staff had the
3opportunity to attend state conferences as well as
4national/regional professional development programs; he has
5been a respected and dedicated leader who promoted a positive
6work culture where people not only wanted to work but wanted to
7stay throughout their career; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Ryan Risinger fostered positive relationships
9with governmental agencies, including the Village of Buffalo
10Grove, school districts, the Indian Trails Public Library
11District, sports affiliate groups, and sponsors; he was an
12active member of the Rotary Club of Buffalo Grove, where he
13served as president in 2017-18; he served on the Northwest
14Special Recreation Association Board of Directors from 2015 to
152022, including as chairman in 2020; he was a member of the
16Special Leisure Services Foundation Board of Trustees in 2021
17and 2022 and was a long-standing liaison to the Buffalo Grove
18Chamber of Commerce; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Ryan Risinger oversaw the renovation of the
20Buffalo Grove Park District's Community Arts Center; partially
21funded with a PARC grant, the 41,000 SF LEED-certified
22facility was developed with the arts in mind; it has a
23state-of-the-art, 360 tiered-seat theater with an ADA
24accessible sound booth, concessions, box office, multipurpose

 

 

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1areas, and an art gallery; the center offers over a 100
2different classes with more than 852 performers yearly, as
3well performing arts camps that serve more than 400 campers;
4it operates as a rental hub year-round for local groups
5including churches, synagogues, arangetrams, quinceaneras,
6community outreach groups, non-profits, and other local
7government agencies; the district was honored to receive the
8distinction of Outstanding Facility Award: Division II for
9this facility by the Illinois Parks and Recreation Association
10in January of 2020; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Ryan Risinger's leadership enabled the district
12to complete many park developments, including the renovation
13of the district's park gem, Willow Stream Park, which received
14upgraded pathways, additional trails, a new playground, pool
15upgrades and slide, permeable paving, and a pavilion; that
16project was followed by a large renovation of Reiner Park
17(formerly Green Lake Park) with the addition of a cricket
18pitch, outdoor exercise equipment, a fishing pier, and a
19butterfly garden; he also oversaw the development of the
20Educational Gardens and Classroom at Mike Rylko Community
21Park, which encourages the community to be curious about the
22natural world with a focus on food sustainability and native
23plants; and
 
24    WHEREAS, Ryan Risinger also oversaw the Alcott Center

 

 

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1pre-school wing renovation, the construction of the Golf Dome,
2and the proposed Prairie Grove and Parkchester Park
3renovations, as well as the Spray 'N Play expansion and
4Amphitheater construction at Mike Rylko Community Park; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Ryan Risinger's legacy of service will leave a
6lasting impact on the State of Illinois parks and recreation
7field and on the community of Buffalo Grove; therefore, be it
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
9HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
10we congratulate Ryan Risinger on his retirement from the
11Buffalo Grove Park District, and we wish him well in all his
12future endeavors; and be it further
 
13    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
14presented to Ryan Risinger as a symbol of our respect and
15esteem.