Clifton E. French Distinguished Service Award Recipient
Tom Schmitz
By Bethani Gerhard, Minnesota Recreation and Park Association
The Clifton E. French Distinguished Service Award recipient for 2021 is Tom Schmitz, park and recreation department director for the City of New Ulm. This award is the highest distinction presented to a person who has provided long and outstanding service to MRPA and the parks and recreation profession. “I am extremely grateful, honored and humbled to receive this prestigious award, named after the first superintendent of the biggest and best park district in all of Minnesota,” states Schmitz. “I view this award as a team award. I’ve been a part of many amazing park and recreation teams over the past 40-plus years.” Schmitz states, “I started in Saint Peter as a summer lifeguard and grounds crew foreman. After completing my degree from Mankato State University in
recreation, parks and leisure services, I worked as a park supervisor for Salt Lake County for two years. After that, I worked as a ranger for the National Park Service in Colorado for one year, and three years as a district scout executive for Twin Valley Boy Scout Council.” Schmitz was an assistant park manager for two Minnesota state parks for 14 years until he was hired as the park and recreation department director for the City of New Ulm in 2005. As director, he has led the largest per capita, park and recreation system in Minnesota. Schmitz initiated two rounds of local sales tax-funded major initiatives. He led the $14,800,000 first authorization of New Ulm’s local 0.5-percent sales tax for seven major projects, including the 2016 November general election passage with 70-percent
of local voters choosing yes. Schmitz also led the largest public capital development investment in the history of New Ulm with $20 million-plus from 2017-2021. After working for 10 years to help to establish the Greater Minnesota Parks and Trails Commission, Schmitz was appointed in 2013 by Governor Mark Dayton to serve on the Minnesota Commission until 2020. He assisted the department to receive the Minnesota Governors Fit City, Tree City USA and Bicycle Friendly Community certifications, as well as eight MRPA Awards of Excellence for projects and programs. “Thank you to the City of New Ulm staff team that I am so privileged to be a part of,” he says. “Thank you to Chris Dalton, Shawna Boomgarden, Cheryl Kormann, Ryan Weier, and Liz Malloy.” Continues on page 14…
“I AM EXTREMELY GRATEFUL, HONORED AND HUMBLED TO RECEIVE THIS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD, NAMED AFTER THE FIRST SUPERINTENDENT OF THE BIGGEST AND BEST PARK DISTRICT IN ALL OF MINNESOTA.” - TOM SCHMITZ REGARDING CLIFTON E. FRENCH
Tom Schmitz’s family (left to right): Jerry Stamps (family’s great friend), Lilo Schmitz (Tom’s mother), Tom Schmitz, and Kim Hemphill-Schmitz (Tom’s wife)
Spring 2022 • MINNESOTA Recreation and Parks 13
