Raymond K. Ochromowicz is currently Principal
of Executive Decisions Consulting, a consulting and special projects company
aimed at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of park and recreation
agencies by employing business-like principles, teambuilding, and training.
Executive Decisions specializes in recreation program assessments, work culture
assessments, executive searches, mentorship, public speaking, and leadership
development.
Prior to establishing Executive
Decisions Consulting in 2013, Ray delivered 36 years of distinguished service in
public parks and recreation serving in positions of programming, facility
management and administration including 29 years as Executive Director of three
Gold Medal winning park districts.
He
retired from the St. Charles Park District, St. Charles, IL in 2013. Previous
to that he was the Executive Director for the Park Ridge Recreation and Park
District, Park Ridge, IL, and served 23 years as Executive Director for the
Bolingbrook Illinois Park District. Under his leadership his agencies received
the NRPA Healthy Community Award (2003), National Gold Medal Award (1980,
1999), National Recreation and Park Association and the National Sports
Foundation (1999), NRPA Best Benefits (1994, 2001, 2002) and the KUDOs Award as
Best Communicator, National Recreation and Park Association, an unprecedented
eight times (1997-2008).
From 1987-93 he was Director of Parks and Recreation, Burbank Illinois Park
District. He has also taught part-time at the College of St. Francis and
Moraine Valley Community College.
Ochromowicz has been active in the Illinois Park and Recreation Association,
serving on the nominations and elections committee, state conference committee
(chair), awards and recognition committee, issues task force, public awareness
committee, sports and athletics committee and the board of directors. He has
also been active in the South Suburban Park and Recreation Profession Association,
the Western Illinois University Alumni Recreation Association, the National
Recreation and Park Association, and the Will County Environmental Task Force.
He has served on the Board of Regents and has taught for North Carolina State
University's Supervisors Management School from 2006 through 2022. He has also
been active in his community's Rotary Clubs including all of their leadership
capacities.
Ray has received the Academy's President's Award, NRPA’s Midwest Region
Professional of the Year, the IPRA Prestigious Fellow Award, the IPRA
Professional Award, the Bolingbrook Park District Award of Excellence, the IPRA
Meritorious Service Award, the Distinguished Alumni Award from Western Illinois
University, the Rotary Club’s Paul Harris Fellow, and an IPRA Literary Award.
He has
taught in the Recreation and Leisure Services Department of Moraine Valley
Community College, the University of St. Francis, and for North Carolina State
University. Ray has spoken at numerous state and national conferences, and
authored articles for several professional journals.
He received his B.S. degree from Western Illinois University, with a major in
Recreation and Park Administration. He has also attended the Illinois Park
& Recreation Professional Development School, the NRPA/North Carolina State
University Administrative Management Forum and the NRPA/North Carolina State
University Business Institute for Park & Recreation Professionals. [updated 5-2023]