Rockford Park District President Elected Vice-Chairman of Leading Statewide Association for Parks

SPRINGFIELD, IL - - Martesha Brown, President of the Rockford Park District was recently elected vice-chairman of the Illinois Association of Park Districts’ (IAPD) Board of Trustees.

Brown joined the IAPD board in 2022. As vice-chairman, she will assist the association with its mission of advancing Illinois park districts, forest preserves, conservation districts, recreation, and special recreation agencies in their ability to preserve natural resources and improve the quality of life for all people in Illinois. She will work with the 19-member board to advise the association in providing service, research, advocacy, public awareness, and educational programs to its membership of more than 370 park, recreation, and conservation agencies and nearly 100 affiliated business partners.

“Martesha has a wealth of knowledge that makes her an incredible advocate for parks, recreation, and conservation both locally and statewide,” said Peter Murphy, IAPD President and Chief Executive Officer. “Her enthusiasm for promoting a better quality of life through park district programs and services is unparalleled, and I look forward to working with her to keep Illinois parks, recreation, and conservation among the nation’s best.”

Brown serves on the IAPD Honors and Resolutions Committee, Research Advisory Council, and the Friends of Illinois Parks Foundation. She is also a member of the IAPD/Illinois Park and Recreation Association Joint Legislative Committee and serves on the Illinois Park District Liquid Asset Fund Plus Board of Trustees.

She was elected to the Rockford Park District board in 2021.

Brown is a Rockford native and MBA Graduate of Rockford University. She is currently the Director of Community Economic Development for Midland States Bank where she drives strategic community impact investment initiatives to empower communities and foster economic growth.

She has held various volunteer roles for organizations such as Goodwill of Northern Illinois, Think Big, Transform Rockford, Habitat for Humanity, Community Foundation of Northern IL, Chairman’s bridge committee, State of IL Governor Pritzker’s Capital Development Board, Rebounding Rockford Covid Recovery for Events and Entertainment, RAVE, Leadership Rockford, The Platform Group, Swedish American Health Foundation, the NAACP.

She has been recognized and awarded as one of Rockford’s “Forty Under 40,” as a Rockford Register Star “People You Should Know,” a recipient of the “25 Black Leaders to Watch” by Soul News Network, the YWCA Northwestern Illinois Women of Achievement and was selected as the 2021 Pow(H)er Community “Hero” by the Chamber of Commerce, and Outstanding Community Service Volunteer Award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

IAPD was established in 1928 and is the oldest state association for parks, recreation, and conservation in America. The association serves more than 2,100 elected park, recreation, and forest preserve district board members who govern nearly 370 agencies employing more than 67,000 individuals.

IAPD strives to improve Illinois’ quality of life through park districts, forest preserves, conservation districts, and recreation agencies by establishing grants and other new revenue streams for park land, facilities, and services; educating the public about the positive effects parks and recreation have on communities; and meeting the problem of decreasing open space in Illinois.