Bill Lockwood & Ron Coleman Inducted Into the Missouri Parks and Recreation Hall of Fame

Bill Lockwood and Ron Coleman were inducted into the Missouri Recreation and Parks Hall of

Fame on Thursday, February 20, 2020 during the Missouri Parks and Recreation Associations annual conference.

Ron Coleman

Coleman is a resident of St. Albans and has made extraordinary contributions to the parks and recreation movement in Missouri. In his tenure, he worked for the City of Ellisville as Director of Parks & Recreation, Ozark Greenways Executive Director, City of Chesterfield as Director of Parks & Recreation and Open Space Council’s Executive Director. While “Director” appears to be the common theme of all these positions, it is only one common factor. Affectionately referred to as “the start up guy,” Ron was the first in each of these positions. He became very efficient in the standard policy and procedures required for a smooth operation while creating recreational programs to get a new department moving. While Ron has moved on from all of these professional positions, these agencies remain active and viable today.

Ron has chaired many initiatives throughout the state of Missouri for the benefit of parks, conservation, trails, clean water and public art and for the betterment of all Missourians and our states natural resources. Many of the programs Ron initiated or nurtured continue to flourish. Ron assisted in the creation of many special publications for a variety of local and statewide initiatives. Two keystone video projects, Rivers in Renaissance and Greenways for Missouri, helped to educate and promote the ideals of river stewardship and open space protection.

Through both his action and advocacy he has helped to conserve thousands of acres of open space in the form of conservation and park land, acquire and develop miles of hiking and biking trails and helped to restore the natural beauty to the lower Meramec River located on the eastern edge of the Ozarks Plateau. Ron has also been elected as the President of the Missouri Park Association, Conservation Federation of Missouri, and Missouri Park and Recreation Association, a leadership trifecta!

Ron’s professional and volunteer work with land and water conservation has earned him local, state and national recognition including Missouri Water Conservationist of the Year, MPRA Fellow, Conservationist of the Year by the St. Louis Audubon Society, Missouri Conservationist of the Year by CFM, and Watershed Management Award presented by the Missouri Water Environment Association.

In 2010 Ron was honored by Governor Jay Nixon and the Missouri Legislature with the prestigious Missourian Award for his conservation, parks, outdoor recreation, and public service to the state of Missouri and the nation.

Ron has been a master at recognizing seemly diverse or unrelated interests and pulling parties together to accomplish a greater good for all. Playing the role of a mentor was not an act with Ron, it was a personality trait which came naturally to him. The careers of many park professionals in Missouri have been positively impacted directly and indirectly by Ron.

Bill Lockwood

Lockwood is a resident of Jefferson City and has made extraordinary contributions to the parks and recreation movement in Missouri. Known as the “Professional’s Professional.” These two words offer the best description of Bill Lockwood. Time and time again he delivered the appropriate solutions to those challenges and, more often than not, deflecting the credit to others.

Starting when still a student at the University of Missouri, Bill displayed exemplary leadership and service while president of the student recreation club and outstanding senior in his graduating class. These traits were carried with him throughout his career. In his term as MPRA President, Bill led the successful defensive efforts to save the Department of Recreation and Park Administration from elimination by the University of Missouri Chancellor. Rally presentations and an organized letter writing campaign to the administration, Board of Curators, and various members of the state legislature proved effective. He continues to serve the school and profession to this day on the School of Natural Resources Advisory Council Executive Committee and on the Board of Directors for CFM.

The list of contributions to his credit is lengthy and distinguished in the communities he has served professionally. During his tenures in Fulton, Columbia, and most recently, Jefferson City, Bill has handled his employment in an exemplary manner, bringing recognition and achievement to his departments, the communities, and his employees. He not only brought about significant progress in those communities, but did so while making the best use of available resources, creating new resources, promoting employee development, and adding greatly to the quality of life to the citizens he served over the course of his 46 year career.

His pioneering foresight in securing National Demonstration Project grant funding for the Columbia MKT Parkway as Missouri’s first rail-totrail conversion project served as inspiration and a model for the Katy State Park Trail and others to follow. His leadership of the 501(c)3 Jefferson City Parks and Recreation Foundation to secure funding and development of the Lewis and Clark Trail Head Monument on the state capitol grounds, a gift to all Missourians, is yet another example of his vision and collaborative partnerships.

Bill believes in community and civic service and has always been dedicated to making his communities great places to live, work, and play for current and future generations. His vision, long-range planning skills, the ability to think outside the box, and the tenacity to see projects through to completion have made his communities and the State of Missouri a better place for all.