Waukegan Park District Recognized with Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting
Waukegan, Illinois (September 13, 2022) – The Waukegan Park District has been recognized by the Government Finance Officers Association with their Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting for publishing a readily accessible and easily understandable Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR) for the fiscal year that ended on April 30, 2021. Reports are reviewed by judges who evaluate them based on reader appeal, understandability, distribution methods, creativity, and other elements.
The Government Finance Officers Association established the Popular Annual Financial Reporting Awards Program in 1991 to encourage and assist state and local governments to extract information from their annual comprehensive financial report to produce high quality Popular Annual Financial Reports specifically designed to be readily accessible and easily understandable to the general public and other interested parties without a background in public finance, and then to recognize individual governments that are successful in achieving that goal.
Janet E. Kilkelly, President of the Waukegan Park District Board of Commissioners, stated, “The staff of the Waukegan Park District are to be applauded for this recognition from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada. This accomplishment would not be achieved without their commitment to meeting the highest principles of financial reporting and transparency.”
Jay Lerner, Executive Director of the Waukegan Park District, said, “The Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting reflects the Waukegan Park District’s ongoing commitment to financial transparency. The Board of Commissioners and our staff are to be congratulated for this achievement recognizing responsible fiscal practices.”
The Government Finance Officers Association advances excellence in government finance by providing best practices, professional development, resources, and practical research for more than 21,000 members and the communities they serve.
The Waukegan Park District’s popular annual financial report is available at waukeganparks.org/annualreport.
About the Waukegan Park District
Established on December 26, 1916, the Waukegan Park District (WPD) has 53 properties and more than 742 acres of land, including the 18-hole Bonnie Brook and 9-hole Greenshire Golf Courses. Properties are managed to the highest environmental and conservation standards. Facilities operated by the WPD include the Field House Sports, Fitness and Aquatics Center, Waukegan’s Greg Petry SportsPark, Waukegan Skate Park, BMX Track, SplashZone, Percussion Playground, recreational centers, disc golf course, dog exercise area and agility course, outdoor sports fields, picnic areas, playgrounds, splash pads, and sports courts including basketball, tennis and pickleball. A full range of programs and services are offered year-round for all ages, from infants to seniors, as well as special need populations. Healthy lifestyles, wellness initiatives, and a connection with the outdoors and nature are integrated throughout programs, services, and special events. Arts and cultural activities are provided by the Jack Benny Center for the Arts, Waukegan Symphony Orchestra and Concert Chorus, and the Waukegan History Museum. We offer something for everyone!
A member of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD), Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA), and the Park District Risk Management Agency (PDRMA), the WPD employs 73 full-time and 219 part-time, seasonal, and temporary employees and is recognized by the IPRA as an Exceptional Workplace.
Nationally accredited by the NRPA Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) and State accredited through the IAPD Distinguished Agency Accreditation, the WPD has received the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Triple Crown Award for receiving the GFOA’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, Popular Annual Financial Reporting Award, and the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. The WPD was awarded the NRPA National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management in 2013, and was named a Gold Medal Finalist in 2012, 2013, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Media Contact
Josue Pasillas, MPA
Communications Supervisor
Waukegan Park District
(847) 360-4789
jpasillas@waukeganparks.org
waukeganparks.org