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Feels Like Home to Me

...Though all the homes and people on The Hill are meaningful to me, the home at the top of The Hill is particularly special. My mom and dad, after stumbling upon it on a Sunday drive, purchased the lot in 1953.   Then they, along with extended family, built a house from the ground up. Each weekend they gathered; the women and children brought food and the men brought their tools. It was six years before I was born. This home became the seed for 60 years of our family’s association with The Hill, and our beautiful Whitewater Lake."

This is an excerpt from a story I wrote about the place that I call home: The Hill in Whitewater, Wisconsin. This is where my love for water was born, which eventually led me to a lifeguarding job on the same lake. It was also the location of the first swim lesson program that I created and taught in front of my house. Ironically, it was also there that I learned about the field of parks and recreation in Illinois, from the late Kevin Kendrigan, the former Executive Director of NWSRA, on a boat one afternoon.
When I returned to work after the IAPD/IPRA Conference this year I had a renewed spirit. I found myself smiling for no particular reason and walking with a bit of a bounce in my step.    I always return from conference with great ideas, but this year was different. When I was sworn in as IPRA Chairman I looked out at the crowd and saw friends, colleagues, my current and former staff, my family and people I have yet to meet. As I said in my speech, I wouldn’t soon forget that moment. The reason was because I was where I was supposed to be... I was home.

This field provides so much more than a paycheck and a title. It provides a family of sorts; a comfortable, secure and nurturing home for us to grow. Even after 30 years in the field I am humbled by the many people I come in contact with; overflowing with passion, enthusiasm, a love for our field and most importantly a desire to serve.

One of the initiatives of the Strategic Plan this year is developing opportunities for mentoring. Matt Ellmann, Executive Director of the Wooddale Park District is leading the Mentoring Task Force. Their charge is to work with the IPRA staff to develop and maintain a mentoring program to connect our members. Ironically, my first mentor was Lydia Lombardo, the Membership Services Director at IPRA, my internship supervisor.

This year we will also explore the possibility of affiliating with Women in Leisure Services (WILS), a national organization for women working in parks and recreation with The Women in Leisure Services Task Force. Margaret Resnick, Executive Director of the Mundelein Park District and the members of the task force will be assessing the needs of women throughout the state to see how IPRA can better meet those needs. The birth of this task force came from the increased interest in topics and information relating to women from members throughout the state.

As I close, I hope you will find a home in IPRA. Being home provides a sense of security and comfort, and it serves as a place where we can be our true selves and grow.   If you want to get involved or you have a suggestion, please email me at jphincapie@lwd.org or call me at 847-745-4724.

I hope to see you soon. We’ll leave the light on.

-Jan Hincapie, Director
Lincolnwood Parks & Recreation Department

536 East Avenue, LaGrange, IL 60525 | Phone: 708-588-2280 | Fax : 708-354-0535