People.

The Nebraska Recreation and Park Association has announced Dr. Edsel Buchanan the 2000 Hall of Fame Award recipient. After earning a Bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan, where he participated in the sport of trampolining and won three consecutive NCAA titles, Buchanan received his Master's degree from the University of Michigan and later his Doctorate in education from the University of Houston. After working in positions at Texas Tech University, North Texas University, and Arkansas Tech University, he moved to Omaha in 1979 to assume the Coordinator position for the University of Nebraska-Omaha Recreation and Leisure Studies Program. During his tenure at UNO, he successfully secured national accreditation of the undergraduate program by NRPA/AALR and developed the Master of Science and Master of Arts curriculum for Recreation and Leisure Studies. He retired from full-time work in 1992, but continues to teach part-time with the rank of Professor Emeritus. In 1999, he was selected as a nominee for induction into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor. His induction was approved and he will be honored in a special ceremony this year.

Rusty Keeler has been honored in the International Playground Design Competition 2000 with second-place prize, the sole American to receive an award. The competition, sponsored by the International Play Association (IPA), attracts entries from designers around the world. Keeler's winning design was for an infant-toddler play-space in Skaneateles, New York. The panel of judges noted the design's innovative attention to the developmental needs of children and the use of natural materials and native plantings.

Sarah Reading, director of the Skaneateles Early Childhood Center, says developing the award-winning project with Keeler was like preaching to the choir. "We wanted a place where children could do things everyday; where we could create spaces that would continue to interest them throughout the seasons." Added Keeler, "When I design a playscape, I work closely with the community. We bring in local stone, native plantings, and engage the talent and skills of local artists, crafts people, carpenters, and gardeners. The community-built movement in America today is a process based on Amish barn raising, where the whole community works together for a common goal. We involve everybody."

APPOINTMENTS

Mary Garrison, Winnetka Park District Commissioner since 1991, was chosen president-elect for the Illinois Association of Park Districts' Board of Directors at their state conference in Peoria. The association is the umbrella organization serving 343 park districts, city recreation departments, and forest preserves in the state of Illinois. The term of president is a one-year commitment commencing in January, 2002. Garrison has served on the Illinois Association of Park Districts' Board since 1996, and has been vice-president since 1988. Owner of North Shore Trophy and Engraving, Garrison has chaired and served in many civic and community organizations, including the Joint Distinguished Agency Review Board for Illinois Association of Park Districts and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association. She is also President of Misericordia Women's Board of Misericordia Home in Chicago, a home for more than 600 mentally and physically challenged children and young adults.

Ralph J. Volpe has been named the new executive director of the Park District of Highland Park, replacing Connie Newport upon her retirement in August of 2001. "Ralph has the Board's complete and unconditional support," said Scott Chovanec, president of the Park District of Highland Park Board of Commissioners. Volpe, who is presently the Park District's director of parks and planning, will take on several added responsibilities, including the management of 70 full-time and many more seasonal and part-time staff, the position of secretary of the board, and the overall administration of the mission and operation of the Park District. A graduate of Western Illinois University with both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in parks and recreation administration, Volpe brings more than 24 years of experience to his new position. He is a professional member of both NRPA and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association. Volpe has also been awarded the 1991 Park Professional of the Year Award and the 1996 President's Award by the IPRA and currently serves on the Great Lakes Regional Council for NRPA. Says Volpe, "In my new role, I will continue to make sure that our community's tradition of highly recognized recreational and park services are delivered in a creatively effective and professional manner."