City Park Director, Programs Receive Top Honors at State Parks Conference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 24, 2012

For more information contact
Mick Renneisen, Director, City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, (812) 349-3700 or [renneism@bloomington.in.gov|mailto:renneism@bloomington.in.gov]

Lindsay Buuck, Health and Wellness Coordinator, City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, (812) 349-3771 or [buuckl@bloomington.in.gov|mailto:buuckl@bloomington.in.gov]

Bloomington, IN - The City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department brought back top honors from the Indiana Park and Recreation Association (IPRA) annual conference last week.

[Mick Renneisen|image:2339,right]Parks and Recreation Department Director Mick Renneisen was named the IPRA Outstanding Professional of the Year, and the Department and its partners received an Outstanding Program Award for the G.O.A.L. (Get Onboard Active Living) program. The awards were presented at a ceremony in Michigan City last Thursday.

According to IPRA, the Outstanding Professional of the Year is the highest individual honor the Association can confer on an individual. This award is presented each year to a park and recreation professional who has shown excellence in the administration of parks and recreation services in Indiana.

Mick Renneisen has served as the Director of the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department since 1996. He is a past president of IPRA, and served on the IPRA Board of Directors for many years. Renneisen was instrumental in the development and adoption of IPRA's strategic action plan, which guides the association's multi-year operations. He also initiated the offering of youth sports coach training through IPRA member agencies.

"I'm very humbled to be honored with this award," Renneisen said. "I'm thankful for the outstanding staff that I have worked with who create the programs and experiences that have a positive effect on the quality of life of our residents, while also contributing to the overall livability of our community."

The G.O.A.L. program is operated through a collaboration of partners: IU Health Bloomington, Bloomington Parks and Recreation, Southern Indiana Pediatrics, Monroe County YMCA, Monroe County Community School Corporation, Richland-Bean Blossom Community School Corporation, and Indiana University (Office of Community Health Engagement and the Department of Kinesiology).

G.O.A.L. is a free, family-focused, community approach to decreasing obesity and encouraging healthy lifestyles for children and their families. Children with a body mass index (BMI) above the 85th percentile are evaluated and referred to the G.O.A.L. program by their primary care physicians. Each child and a family member are enrolled in the program for 24 weeks. Thus far, a total of 35 children have successfully completed the G.O.A.L. program. More than 60% of the participants lost weight, 72% decreased their BMI, and 100% had fun as a family being a part of G.O.A.L.

Lindsay Buuck, heath and wellness coordinator for the City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department and the Department's G.O.A.L. program coordinator, said, "We have gathered a dynamic, passionate program team who works hard to make a difference in our families' lives every week. We are beyond thankful to IPRA for recognizing our work with G.O.A.L. and promoting healthy lifestyles to Bloomington and surrounding communities."

Hannah Laughlin, health educator with Indiana University Health Bloomington and G.O.A.L. program coordinator, said, "The G.O.A.L. program and community partners are honored to be recognized by IPRA. G.O.A.L. represents the strength of our local community for successful collaborative efforts and directly impacts issues surrounding childhood obesity."

For more information about the G.O.A.L. program, or other programs and services offered by the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, contact the Parks and Recreation office at 349-3700 or by e-mail at [parks@bloomington.in.gov|mailto:parks@bloomington.in.gov].

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