Message from the Administrator

The Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department completed another busy year guided by our mission: “We equitably enrich community well-being by providing quality parks, trails, facilities, programs and services, and through the stewardship of natural spaces.”

Each of the four divisions, Administration, Recreation, Operations and Sports, set program area goals based on community needs, our capital improvement plan, and our five-year master plan. These goals are tracked through a fiveyear Strategic Action Plan with 102 goals set for 2022.

The Strategic Action Plan is our score card to the community. The 2022 goal scorecard reflects 60 accomplished goals, 16 substantially complete, 14 inactive due to COVID, nine delayed due to COVID and three no longer feasible.

We are fortunate to do our work and accomplish program goals through the support of city administration and the City Council. The Board of Park Commissioners, Kathleen Mills, President; Ellen Rodkey, Vice President; Israel Herrera, and Jim Whitlatch meet on a monthly basis and in 2022 approved 175 contracts and 39 partnerships, seven policy updates, and three resolutions.

The 2022 Annual Report captures data and pictures our program participations, financials, division highlights, partnerships, grants and awards, and for the first time an update on the activity of our volunteer-based Bloomington Parks Foundation.

We also welcomed new staff who joined the department team in 2022 including Emily Buuck (Community Relations Coordinator), Jeff Hazel (Operations Laborer), Kyle Hudson (Operations Foreperson Sanitation/Grounds), Satoshi Kido (Sports Division Director), Scot Sturrock (Urban Greenspace Foreperson), Kevin Terrell (Program/Facility Coordinator-Banneker) and Michele Wilson (Customer Service Representative).

Thank you to the Bloomington community for coming out to concerts, hiking trails, playing in parks, and taking advantage of the wonderful opportunities Bloomington Parks and Recreation has to offer!