Awards.

The Indiana Park and Recreation Association would like to recognize the following individuals and Park and Recreation Departments that received awards at the Annual Awards Banquet on September 13, 2001 in West Lafayette, Indiana.

The Outstanding Professional of the Year Award, the Association's highest award, was presented to John Lester, Manager of Support Services for the Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation Department for his many years of service to the Association. John was President of the Association in 1983 and has served on several sections and committees. He has been providing quality leadership and service in parks and recreation for over 31 years.

The Distinguished Life Membership Award was presented to Leah Gunderson for her forty-plus years of service as a Board member of the Lowell Indiana Parks Department. She was also a teacher of physical education, a fourteen-year member of the NRPA Great Lakes Regional Council and a Trustee of NRPA since 1999.

Steve Slauson, Superintendent of Parks for the St. Joseph County Parks and Recreation Department, received an Outstanding Service Award for effort in creating the Indiana Parks and Recreation Association's web page.

Park Development Awards were presented to: West Lafayette Parks and Recreation for their Celery Bog Area, South Bend Parks and Recreation Department for the O'Brien Recreation Center and to the Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation Department for the Lawrence W. Inlow Park.

Hamilton County Parks and Recreation Department received a Program Award for their Pajama-Rama program at the Cool Creek Nature Center.

Seven alumni awards were presented recently by the Indiana University School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation to distinguished graduates for their personal and professional accomplishments. The awards were presented at a special luncheon on campus by HPER Dean Tony Mobley and Associate Dean David Gallahue. The International Distinguished Alumni honor was presented to Ming-Chung Tsai of Mountain View, California, the founding president of the National College of Physical Education & Sports in Taiwan and former Director of the Physical Education and Sports Department for the Ministry of Education in China. He is widely recognized for his contributions to the field of physical education throughout Asia.

The three Endwright Distinguished Alumni Service Award recipients were Ken Stella of Carmel, Indiana, president of the Indiana Hospital & Health Association for nearly 20 years and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives who is recognized nationally for his leadership in health care; Joy Kirchner of Johnson City, Tennessee, a retired professor and associate director of planning and academic affairs at the University of Louisville School of Medicine who has been a leader in health care curriculum development; and George Oberle of Sarasota, Florida, a retired teacher and educational administrator with more than 40 years of service at the college and university level including extensive involvement in support of athletic programs for the disabled.

The three Patty Distinguished Alumni Awards were presented to Chuck Wilt of Columbus, Indiana who has administered more than $18 million in facility developments with the City of Columbus during his nearly 25 years as director of Parks and Recreation; Joan Hult of Greenbelt, Maryland who has devoted her career to increasing opportunities for women in collegiate sports competition and encouraging women to have active lifestyles; and Stephen Bender of Rancho Santa Fe, California, a professor of epidemiology/biostatistics at the San Diego State University Graduate School of Public Health who has received more than $7 million in grants and awards during his career, including funding for a safe drug racing program to help keep kids off city streets.