Hometown: Pana

Family: Married to Kent. They have two sons, Will and Drew.

Occupation: Director of recreation and facilities, Decatur Park District

Education: Bachelor's degree in recreation, tourism and sports management, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

First job: Lifeguard at the Pana pool. I started in recreation early.

My "I'd rather be �" bumper sticker would read: "I'd rather be hanging out with my boys."

Hobbies/interests: Yoga, running, gardening, reading. I'm also an Illini and Cubs fan.

Why I do what I do: I like that there is an opportunity to work with all ages and types of people throughout the day. My job works with toddlers and families to active adults and senior citizens. Some days, I am working on a cultural arts project, and the next, I am outside at a softball tournament. There are days when I have been the Easter Bunny in the morning and been coaching a volleyball team in the afternoon. Parks and recreation is a really great field.

Personal approaches to challenges: I like to gather all of the information and then meet the challenge head-on.

Community involvement: I've met with so many great community and church groups so far. They are all doing really great things in their neighborhood. I am looking forward to getting involved with my sons' activities and hope to volunteer with Special Olympics.

What does the director of recreation do? The director of recreation oversees the many areas of programming offered by the park district. From swim lessons to softball, Park Singers to Special Olympics, fitness to summer camps, you name it, the rec staff does it.

They've added facilities to your title. What does that entail? I am responsible for many of the Decatur Park District facilities that offer programming, including the Decatur Indoor Sports Center, Arts and Recreation Center, MidState Soccer, Rotary Park, Paul's Puttin' Place and Dunn's Dugout.

Is it safe to say you are a recreation director that will practice what you preach? Absolutely! I encourage people to stay active throughout their lives. If you are at a baseball game, take a walk around the park. If you can, ride your bike to work. A dance class can burn 420 calories. Sign up for a fitness class, so you always have an appointment to work out. Everyone talks about the alarming increase in childhood and adult obesity. The parks are a great low-cost way to get the whole family active. I love to be outside with my family. There are some really beautiful natural areas in the parks that I can't wait to explore.

What was it about the Decatur job that enticed you the most? My husband and I had been looking for job opportunities downstate. When the Decatur Park District job became available, it seemed like a perfect fit.

How does a girl from Pana end up with the Chicago Park District? What were your responsibilities there? How did it prepare you for this job? I interned in Highland Park and lived in Wrigleyville after college. I also worked for the Park Ridge Recreation and Park District and finally with the Chicago Park District. In Chicago, I worked on the North and West Sides. I started out as physical instructor at Mather Park, became a park supervisor at Chase and Hiawatha parks and then was an area manager. As an area manager, I managed 13 staffed facilities and 25 parks. The parks and facilities included natural areas, playing fields, gymnasiums, swimming pools, theaters, playgrounds and community rooms. There aren't many areas of recreation that I haven't seen or been a part of.

Anything you've seen in action over the years that you would like to implement here? I would love to do an adventure camp for ages 13 to 15 that ties in a lot of the activities that are available at the park district: rock climbing at the DISC, sailing, horseback riding, biking, geocaching and maybe even a campout in one of the parks. I also would like to make recreation and fitness activities for youth and adults available to different areas of the city year-round.

Any challenges/pressure associated with following a person who held your position for many years and associated with the district even more? Every time I sit down with a group, the first thing they tell me is what big shoes I have to fill. I aspire to have the same said about me.

What do you see as the biggest challenges when it comes to programming? There are a lot of agencies doing great things in Decatur. Creating partnerships that allow everyone to provide the best possible service to the residents is going to be a fun challenge. We also are working on the development of a financial assistance program. Fun for All will allow residents to participate in park programs, regardless of ability to pay.

When it comes to organized activities you oversee, we generally think of kids. Is that your primary focus? Kids are a big part of what I do. But I would love to see more recreation opportunities for older teens and young adults. This group is often hard to reach but really can benefit from organized recreation. Active adults are another group that can benefit from park activities. I would like to start participating in Senior Olympics and start some social groups that might travel or have hobbies in common. We have a great group of seniors but will be adding some new adult programs this fall.

What would you most like to achieve during your tenure with the district? I would like to increase the opportunities for all residents in physical fitness activities, whether in organized sports or taking a hike through one of our beautiful parks.