The Homewood-Flossmoor Park District has been recognized as an Illinois Distinguished Accredited Agency by the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA).

The two statewide associations administer the Illinois Distinguished Accreditation program with the goal of improving the delivery of park and recreation services to Illinois residents. 

“Receiving this award is a tremendous honor and a testament to the dedication of our entire team,” said Doug Boehm, executive director of the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District. “This recognition affirms our commitment to upholding the highest standards of professional excellence in all aspects of our operations, and it reflects the hard work we put in every day to serve our community with exceptional programs, facilities, and service.”  

The park district was notified this month that it was receiving the recognition. It will be reevaluated in six years to verify that the park district has continued to demonstrate sound management practices in providing quality park and recreation services to the community. 

H-F Park District started the process for Distinguished Accredited Agency recognition in March 2024. H-F staff underwent a detailed, lengthy application process and evaluation that was coordinated by members of IAPD and IPRA organized as the Joint Distinguished Park and Recreation Accreditation Committee.

After H-F Park District submitted its application, the committee determined the park district was eligible to continue the process and was assigned a mentor to help staff work on steps that led to the evaluation.

For the evaluation, H-F parks presented documented information and gave a tour of pertinent facilities and parks to the evaluation team. The extensive evaluation process had the accreditation team reviewing:

• General management procedures.
• Finance and business operations.
• Facilities and parks.
• Personnel.
• Recreation services.
• Legal documentation and other materials including mission statements, goals and safety manuals.

H-F Park District will be recognized for this achievement during the IAPD/IPRA Annual Conference in January. 

“There are tremendous benefits for an agency that achieves Distinguished Accredited status,” said Jay Moffat, IAPD Co-Chair of the JDPRAC. “The agency’s application and review process are an excellent self-evaluation and agencies that apply realize increased operational efficiency and effectiveness. Communities can have confidence that their park district … has met professional standards.”