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
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.
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.
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.Â
Our Commissioners
Christina Codo and her husband, Pat Maloney, are 29-year 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. Â
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 served as a Park District Commissioner from 2019 – 2023 and will serve as the President of the Winnetka Park District Board from 2023 – 2027. Christina also is the District Liaison for the Village of Winnetka, the Winnetka Caucus Council and the Lakefront.
Contact:Â ccodo@winpark.org
James Hemmings and his family have been residents of Winnetka for seven years and his two children attend Washburne and Skokie schools. His family frequently uses the Winnetka Park District facilities, attending camps and playing sports, while their dog, Crosby, enjoys taking the family on walks in the many parks. James is eager to serve as a commissioner to ensure the continued maintenance and improvement of the Park District lands and facilities, to preserve the beauty of our parks and land. James earned a B.A. in Foreign Affairs and Middle East Studies at the University of Virginia, an M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago and J.D. from the University of Iowa. He is Senior Counsel at Spectrum Brands, Inc. leading the company’s litigation and intellectual property functions, along with other various compliance and commercial responsibilities.  Â
James has been on the Park District Board since 2023. He also serves as a Park District liaison to the Village of Winnetka, New Trier Township High School, Winnetka Parks Foundation and the Stormwater Committee.
Contact: jhemmings@winpark.org
Eric and his wife Meredith have lived in Winnetka since 2014. They have four children who attend The School of Saints Faith, Hope & Charity. He earned a BS from Boston College, an MS from Boston University, and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He is a senior vice president at Fidelity Investments, representing the company’s investment solutions to asset allocators, corporations, endowments, and foundations throughout the Midwest.
In addition to his role on the Winnetka Park District board, Eric is a Winnetka Hockey Club board member, a Saints Faith, Hope & Charity school board member, and a member of the Economic Club of Chicago.
Eric served as a Park District Commissioner from 2017 – 2023 and served as the Vice President of the Winnetka Park District Board from 2023-2024. Eric also serves as a Park District Liaison to the Winnetka Caucus Council and the Lakefront.
Contact: elussen@winpark.org
Warren grew up in Winnetka, attending New Trier High School. He and his wife Amy moved back to Winnetka in 1997 to raise their three children, New Trier classes of 2016, 2017, and 2021. Warren earned a BS from the University of Illinois School of Engineering and has been in the real estate development and construction industry for more than 33 years.
Before becoming a commissioner, he served as co-chair of the Winnetka Waterfront 2030 Advisory Committee. He has been active with local Scout Troops Winnetka Pack 18 and Winnetka Troop 20 for more than 12 years, and is the founding director of Friends of Future Builder Scouts, an organization that supports Future Builder Scouts in Ghana. Warren coached AYSO soccer for eight years, is a commercial pilot, a water and snow skier, boater, and golfer.
Warren serves as a Park District Liaison to the Stormwater Committee.
Contact: wjames@winpark.org
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.
Contact: cyrapp@winpark.org
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.
Contact: croot@winpark.org
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 recently became users of 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.
Jeff serves as a Park District liaison to the Winnetka Parks Foundation and NSSRA.Â
Contact: jtyson@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: James Hemmings
- Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association – Board Liaison: Jeff Tyson
- Stormwater – Board Liaisons:  James Hemmings and Warren James
- Village of Winnetka – Board Liaison: Christina Codo and James Hemmings
- Winnetka Caucus Council Parks Committee – Board Liaison: Christina Codo and Eric Lussen
- Winnetka Public Schools District #36 – Board Liaison: Cynthia Rapp
- Winnetka Parks Foundation – Board Liaison: James Hemmings and Jeff TysonÂ
- Lakefront – Board Liaison: Christina Codo and Eric Lussen
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.