Bloomington Parks and Recreation Names Park Ambassadors for 2015-16

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 28, 2015

For more information, please contact:
Kim Ecenbarger, Operations Coordinator, City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, 812.349.3739 or [ecenbark@bloomington.in.gov|mailto:ecenbark@bloomington.in.gov]

Contact information for individual Park Ambassadors is available upon request.

Bloomington, Ind. - The Board of Park Commissioners this week approved the appointment of seven Park Ambassadors, who have volunteered to serve liaisons between the Parks and Recreation Department and park users.

The Park Ambassador program, now in its third year, selected this year's ambassadors based on their involvement in neighborhood associations, communication skills, and their motivation for becoming involved in, and commitment to, the Park Ambassador program.

Volunteers selected to fill one-year terms are:

Debra Morrow, [Broadview Park|270]
Debra is the president of her neighborhood association as well as a homeowner whose living room overlooks Broadview Park. She has personal interest in ensuring her neighbors have a positive place for recreation.

Stephen Bailey, [Bryan Park|271]
Stephen has served as the Park Ambassador for Building Trades Park the last two years. He accepted the extended position at Bryan Park after demonstrating great commitment, flexibility, and attention to detail during his service at Building Trades Park.

Jaclyn Ray, [Building Trades Park|272]
Jaclyn is a liaison between the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Commission, where she is a member, and the Prospect Hill Neighborhood Association. She hopes to extend conversations in both groups to include park safety and park enhancement initiatives as part of her citizen stewardship activity.

Carol Gulyas, [Reverend Ernest D. Butler Park|273]
Carol is the president of her neighborhood association and lives one block from Butler Park. She hopes to become more familiar with the park during her role as Park Ambassador, and be more active in maintaining this space for neighboring residents to enjoy.

Tyler Keller, [Cascades Park|lower-cascades]
Tyler is the Park Ambassador program's first student ambassador. Tyler, who has a strong interest in ecology and sustainability, is eager to apply his academic knowledge in a role that allows him to make a positive impact in the community.

Anne Leonard, [Olcott Park|283]
Anne applied to become a Park Ambassador as way to get more involved in the community. A mother of two sons, Anne also feels involvement in the Park Ambassador program will help teach her children about active citizenship while maintaining a park they love to visit.

Regina Davis, [RCA Community Park|293]
Regina is currently one of the Parks and Recreation Department's most active volunteers. Besides pursuing Master Naturalist certification, Regina is also a volunteer at the Farmers' Market, Leonard Springs Nature Days, and the Adopt-a-Trail and Adopt-a-Stream programs. Regina chose RCA Community Park because her daughter lives nearby, and she enjoys sharing her passion for the environment with her grandson.

Ambassadors will visit their assigned park at least once a week to assess its overall condition and complete a report on the park's condition. Park Ambassadors also schedule and coordinate annual beautification work days in their parks.

"We warmly welcome this enthusiastic group of volunteers," said Kim Ecenbarger, special services coordinator with the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department. "We are grateful for their sincere interest in and passion for the protection and preservation of the parks and green spaces in our community."

For more information about the Park Ambassador program, or to request a Park Ambassador application, contact Kim Ecenbarger, Special Services Coordinator, at 812.349.3739 or via e-mail at [ecenbark@bloomington.in.gov.|mailto:ecenbark@bloomington.in.gov]

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