Meet the Board!
The Urbana Park District Board of Commissioners oversees the operation of the Urbana Park District. The five-member board is elected by the public and each member serves a six-year term.
The Board of Commissioners meets on the second Tuesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at the Anita Purves Nature Center, 1505 N. Broadway, Urbana. The public is invited to attend.
Download the next board meeting agenda here.
The board will meet for a special study session on April 3rd. Download the agenda here.
Michael Walker / President
A native of Urbana, Michael Walker is a graduate of Urbana High School and the University of Illinois. After serving 4 years on the Urbana Park District Advisory Committee (UPDAC), he was first elected to the board of commissioners in 1983 and is now in his 4th term on the board. He is very proud of the park district's combination of formal recreational programs, natural areas and informal recreation opportunities that serves the life-long needs of all of Urbana's residents.
He is a frequent visitor to both Crystal Lake and Meadowbrook parks. A computer software specialist, Michael retired from the University of Illinois in 1998 to begin his own consulting business. He shares a vintage Urbana house with his wife, their two daughters, and two black labs.
mwwalker at urbanaparks.org
Nancy Delcomyn / Vice President
Nancy has served on the Board of Commissioners since 1993. Prior to her election, she served on UPDAC, the Urbana Park District Advisory Committee. She became interested in serving on the board because of the excellent balance of parks, natural areas and recreation the District has achieved. She says that she wants taxpayers to "get the biggest bang for their buck", and works diligently with staff to budget for fantastic programs, parks and facilities. She is closely following the development of a Rails to Trails plan in Champaign County, and she keeps tabs on issues related to special recreation and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Nancy is an avid gardener and needleworker.
nadelcomyn@urbanaparks.org
Bruce Larson / Commissioner
Bruce Larson was elected to his first term as a commissioner in 1967 and has been reelected to consecutive six year terms ever since. Bruce served as president of the board from 1970-2003.
In addition to serving Urbana residents through the Urbana Park District, Bruce's interest in parks and recreation has led him to become active in statewide and national park and recreation organizations. He served as president of the Illinois Association of Park Districts in 1996 (an association of more than 350 park agencies in Illinois). Bruce follows legislative issues closely and lends his experience and expertise to IAPD and others to ensure the best interests of the environment and park districts. He is a professor (emeritus) of Biochemistry and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Illinois.
bllarso@uiuc.edu
Deborah Rugg / Commissioner
Deborah Rugg has been a member of the Champaign Urbana community since 1971 and Urbana since 1985. Her professional training is in educational psychology (program evaluation) and has worked at the medical school and then at Carle Foundation with medicl education programs. She has been active with the Girl Scouts on and off since Brownie years, as well as the local and state boards of the League of Women Voters.
She became an active volunteer with the Urbana Park District as a member of the UPDAC (UPD's Citizen Advisory Group) where she worked on a community survey and plans for a new, improved Crystal Lake Park Pool. She likes the range of parks in UPD from the preserves at Busey Woods and Meadowbrook to the neighborhood parks dotting the park district. She was appointed commissioner in June 2002 and elected in April 2003.
(217) 367-7180
dcrugg@urbanaparks.org
DebRugg@aol.com
Bob Stewart / Commissioner
Bob Stewart was elected to his first term as commissioner in April 2007. Prior to his election he served on UPDAC for three years, the final year as UPDAC president.
Bob has been involved with parks and recreation for many years, having
earned a Bachelor's Degree in Regional/Urban Planning from Iowa State
University. Bob was an Edge-Scott Fire Protection District volunteer in
the 1980s, and has volunteered as a girl scout co-leader.
bpstewart@urbanaparks.org
