Libby Baker says much of her life has revolved around recreation. Baker recently made the move from the Winnetka Park District to the Wilmette Park District. She spoke with Pioneer Press on Nov. 15.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
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A: I grew up in Des Plaines, and I now live in Gurnee. My major in college was therapeutic recreation, and my first job out of college was working at the NSSRA (Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association, which provides recreation programs for people with disabilities on the North Shore.)
Q: What do you like about working in the parks and recreation field?
A: I think it’s the people. The people who choose a career in parks and recreation are happy, fun people. They’re creative. I’ve worked with some great people. My husband’s in parks and recreation; in fact, we met through work.
Q: You’ve been working at the Wilmette district for a few months now; do you have any favorite facilities?
A: I can’t say I have a favorite facility, and I haven’t been to all the district’s parks, but if I had to pick,, I’d say the Lakeview Center. That’s because I love the water
Q: Do you have any causes or charities you’d like people to be aware of?
A: The first is Lory’s Placewww.lakelandhealth.org/lorys-place). It’s a grief counseling and education facility in southwest Michigan. It … provides services for people who have lost a loved one, or are losing one. It’s named after Dr. Lory Schults. She is my older sister and she was killed 13 years ago in a car accident. The second is Riddick’s Ride (www.riddicksride.org), named after a little boy born with complex medical conditions. He passed away on his third birthday, and his parents wanted to help others who deal with similar situations.
Q: What would you like to tell people about the Wilmette Park District?
A: I’d tell people to come and check out what the district has to offer them, because there’s a lot here to experience.
Shout Out is a weekly feature in which we get to know and introduce our readers to their fellow community members and local visitors throughout suburban Chicago. Check out more online at ChicagoTribune.com/ShoutOut.
–Kathy Routliffe, Pioneer Press
Twitter: @pioneer_kathy