X

Board of Commissioners

Park District Info

Location

Winnetka Park District
Admin + Recreation Office
540 Hibbard Road, Winnetka, IL 60093
P: (847) 501-2040
F: (847) 501-5779
E: wpdinfo@winpark.org

Send Us a Message

Hours

Monday – Friday: 8:30am – 5pm

A seven-member board governs the Winnetka Park District. Commissioners serve staggered four-year terms without compensation. Any resident of the Winnetka Park District who meets the requirements set forth by the State of Illinois is eligible to run for a seat on the board.

Learn more about Eligibility Requirements here. 

The board’s primary function is to establish policy, including fiscal procedures, personnel matters, operational procedures, fees, land dispositions, and facility development. The current Winnetka Park District Policy Manual is available here. The board is also responsible for the appointment of the executive director and the Park District’s attorney and auditor.

A seven-member board governs the Winnetka Park District. Commissioners serve staggered four-year terms without compensation. Any resident of the Winnetka Park District who meets the requirements set forth by the State of Illinois is eligible to run for a seat on the board.

Park Board Meetings

Regular board meetings are held the fourth Thursday of the month at 6pm at the Park District administrative office (540 Hibbard Road), unless otherwise noted. Special meetings may be scheduled. Notice of these meetings and the meeting’s agenda will be posted online and in the administrative office at least 48 hours before the meeting.

Committee of the Whole board meetings are held the second Thursday of the month at 6pm, unless otherwise noted. The purpose of these meetings is to review staff recommendations. The board can take no formal action during committee of the whole board meetings.

All meetings are open to the public. Visitors may address the board during regular board meetings at select times specified by the meeting’s agenda. All speakers must comply with our Public Comment Policy.

Starting October 2022, the Park District implemented a board management platform called Diligent Community. This platform allows viewers to have a “one-stop-shop” to see all items related to our Park Board. Such as: meeting schedules, agenda packets, minutes, meeting recordings, archived files, and more. Please click the button below to visit our Diligent Community Portal website.

To view previous meeting recordings, visit our Youtube page. 

Our Commissioners

Elise has resided in Winnetka for 17 years with her husband and children, the two youngest of whom are teenagers. Elise’s children have attended Winnetka D36 schools and New Trier High School.  Elise and her family have been extensively involved in Winnetka Park District activities and have fully enjoyed Winnetka Park District facilities.

Elise was a partner at a large law firm in the corporate department, serving as an adviser on the purchase and sale of businesses and negotiating complex business relationships. Additionally, Elise has her MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.  Elise and her family have served in many volunteer capacities during their time in Winnetka.  As of May 2025, Elise serves Park District liaison to the Village of Winnetka.

Contact: egibson@winpark.org

IMG 7506

Jeff Tyson and his wife, Holly, have lived in Winnetka since 2020. They have two children currently attending colleges in Connecticut and Minnesota. Jeff has a B.S. in Computer Science from Lafayette College and worked for 25 years in the consulting and financial services areas, focusing on information technology and program/project management. Before moving to Winnetka, Jeff served on the local borough Planning Commission in Sewickley, Pennsylvania.
 
Jeff and his family frequently enjoy spending time on the Winnetka Park District beaches and utilizes the Stepan Family Boat Launch. Jeff also enjoys playing platform tennis at the Winnetka Park District platform tennis courts. In addition to his role on the Winnetka Park District board, Jeff is actively involved with the Winnetka Music Festival and Friends of the Green Bay Trail.
 
Jeff serves currently as the Board Vice-President since 2024. Jeff also serves as a Park District liaison to the Winnetka Parks Foundation and NSSRA. 
 

Contact: jtyson@winpark.org

Headshot of Christina Codo smiling

Christina Codo and her husband, Pat Maloney, are long-time residents of Winnetka. They have two adult children who return often to Winnetka where they grew up and attended Winnetka District 36 schools and New Trier High School and enjoyed the full range of Winnetka Park District activities, from t-ball to tennis to working as camp counselors, beach attendants, and lifeguards. Christina is a retired Finance Executive currently managing the family real estate business and serving as a substitute Spanish and French teacher for Winnetka Public Schools. She graduated with a B.A. in Economics from Northwestern University and earned an MBA from the Yale School of Management.  
 
Christina also has consistently volunteered in the Winnetka community with multiple organizations including The Saints Faith, Hope & Charity Church and New Trier Township — to name just a few.
 
Christina began her first term as a Park District Commissioner in 2019 and served as the President of the Winnetka Park District Board from May 2023 – May 2025. Christina has also served as the District Liaison for the Village of Winnetka, the Winnetka Caucus Council, Lakefront and Stormwater. As of May 2025, she serves as a liaison to the Village of Winnetka.
 

Contact: ccodo@winpark.org

Scott is a North Shore native who has raised his four children in Winnetka with his wife Melissa. He has a Computer Science Engineering degree from the University of Illinois and an MBA from the Northwestern Kellogg School of Management, leading to a career that has ranged from video games to finance.
Scott and his family have been and continue to be active Winnetka community volunteers.

Contact: scorley@winpark.org

cynthiarapp 2021

Cynthia and her husband have lived in Winnetka since 2015. They have three children who attend Winnetka District 36 schools. Cynthia has a BA and MS from the University of Rochester and an MBA from Columbia University. Her professional background is in product management and marketing finance analysis. She spent several years working for a leading office equipment manufacturer, focusing on developing product requirements and regional marketing plans to meet customer needs and achieve revenue targets. Cynthia and her family are actively involved in Winnetka Park District programs and frequent fliers at many playgrounds throughout the village. In addition to her role on the Winnetka Park District board, she has been an active contributor to the Winnetka Public Schools Foundation, Winnetka Public School Nursery, Scouts BSA Troop 20, Pack 18 Cub Scouts, and the Winnetka School District PTO.
 
Cynthia serves as a Park District liaison to the Winnetka Public Schools District #36 and New Trier Township High School.
 

Contact: cyrapp@winpark.org

colleenroot 2021

Colleen and her husband moved to Winnetka in 2019 to be close to their granddaughter Elsie who attends Winnetka District 36 schools. Colleen earned a JD from the University of Tulsa and spent more than 20 years as a corporate counsel, focusing on administrative, local government, natural resources, and environmental law. In addition to her granddaughter being a park district program enthusiast, Colleen was inspired to serve as a commissioner to continue Winnetka’s tradition of preserving and improving its many beautiful parks and beaches.
 
Colleen began her first term as a Park District Commissioner in 2021 and serves as a Park District liaison to the Environmental and Forestry Commission.
 

Contact: croot@winpark.org

David Seaman and his wife, Catherine Murdoch, first moved to Winnetka in 2002.  They have two adult children who live in Chicago. David grew up in Ohio and earned a BS in Finance and Economics from Miami University.  David spent nearly 30 years in the financial industry focusing on institutional fixed income credit markets. In addition to his role on the Winnetka Park District board, David has been involved with Madonna Mission, Big Shoulders Fund, Our Lady of Grace School Board, and the Winnetka Caucus Council. David began his first term as a Park District Commissioner in June 2020 and served the Winnetka Park District Board until May 2023. He was reappointed to the Park Board in January 2025. As of May 2025, he serves as a liaison to the Winnetka Caucus Council Parks Committee.
Contact: dseaman@winpark.org

Contact: dseaman@winpark.org

Chats with Commissioners

Our commissioners look forward to getting out into the community to listen + learn. We welcome you to join them at these Chats to provide your thoughts on all things Winnetka Park District.

Once Chats are scheduled, they will be added to the Events section of our website. Click the button below to view events relating to the Park Board + Chats with Commissioners.

Park Board Liaisons

The Board of Commissioners utilize a Committee of the Whole format. The committee of the whole and committees meet as needed to review and evaluate staff recommendations and supporting documentation. After this meeting, the item is brought to the full park Board for final review and/or approval.

The Board of Commissioners can serve as one of several community liaisons to represent the Park District in the community. These liaisons include:

  • New Trier Township High School – Board Liaison: Cynthia Rapp
  • Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association – Board Liaison: Jeff Tyson
  • Village of Winnetka – Board Liaison: Elise Gibson and Christina Codo 
  • Winnetka Caucus Council Parks Committee – Board Liaison: Scott Corley and David Seaman
  • Winnetka Public Schools District #36 – Board Liaison: Cynthia Rapp
  • Winnetka Parks Foundation – Board Liaison: Jeff Tyson. Commissioner Tyson will remain as liaison and be the sole representative, as only one Commissioner is required per the Policy Manual.
  • Environmental and Forestry Commission – Board Liaison: Colleen Root

The responsibility of the liaison is to submit reports to the Board detailing community activity that is taking place within the village and other organizations. The purpose of serving as a liaison is to link the park district to other important functions of the village or organizations that support the park district, or that the park district has interest in. Responsibilities could include: attending meetings, reviewing meeting minutes, canvassing website information, and actively reaching out as needed. A liaison is not authorized to take any action unless directed by the Board.

Scroll to Top

More results...