Michael Clark, CPRP, MBA is the Executive Director of the Palatine Park District in Palatine, IL. Palatine Park District serves a population of approximately 83,000 residents and is a northwest suburb of the Chicagoland area. Palatine employs 75 full-time employees and has an annual budget of $22 million. Mike is a graduate, board member and instructor of the Indiana University Executive Development Program. He has an undergraduate degree from Illinois State University in Park and Recreation Administration and also earned his MBA from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. Mike also is a graduate from the NRPA Revenue Sources Management School.
As an active member of the Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA) for the past twenty-five years Mike served as President of IPRA in 2001. Mike served on the IPRA Board of Directors for over a decade and also on the Great Lakes Regional Council. Mike has also been involved at the national level as well. He served on the Board for the American Park and Recreation Society (APRS) for several years culminating in him serving as President of APRS in 2008. Mike has also served both on the state and national level of various professional certification committees and served as Chair of the IPRA/IAPD Joint Accreditation Committee in 2013.
Mike was honored by the IPRA as a recipient of the IPRA Fellow Award in 2009, Illinois State University Distinguished Alumni in 2004 and the IPRA Meritorious Service Award in 2002 and most recently the IPRA Chairman’s Award in 2012. He has spoken at various state, regional and national conferences and workshops as well as published several professional trade articles. Mike is married to his wife Donna for 25 years and has three sons Patrick (21), Andrew (18) and Brian (13). Mike enjoys golf, boating and enjoying time with family and friends. [August 2015]