The Hendricks County Park Board met on January 3 and elected its officers for 2018. Paul Miner, Matt Freije, and Bill Harrington were all reelected to the same positions that they held in 2017.
Miner was elected to his second consecutive term as Park Board president. He is a charter member of the Park Board and has served continuously since the board’s inception in 2000. Miner serves on the board as a representative of the Hendricks County Soil and Water Conservation District.
Freije joined the board in 2015 and served as the Park Board secretary in 2017 through September. Upon the retirement of Bob Niemeyer from the board, Freije replaced Niemeyer as vice president for the remainder of the year. He was reelected as vice president for 2018. Freije is appointed to the board by the Hendricks County Circuit Court.
Harrington is also a charter member of the Park Board and served as its first president from 2000 to 2003. After a 14-year break, Harrington was again appointed to the board by the Hendricks County Council in September after Niemeyer’s retirement. He immediately stepped in to the role of secretary after Freije became vice president, and Harrington was reelected as secretary for 2018.
The other members of the Hendricks County Park Board are Gary Emsweller, Mike Hayden, Doug Moon, and Beth Switzer. Like Miner, Emsweller is a charter member of the board and has served continuously since 2000.
The Hendricks County Park Board provides direction to Hendricks County Parks & Recreation regarding McCloud Nature Park, Sodalis Nature Park, and the portion of the Vandalia Trail that spans from Amo, west through Coatesville, to the Hendricks-Putnam County line. All members of the Park Board are unpaid volunteers.
Also at the January 3 meeting, the Park Board cancelled its scheduled meeting on Feb. 7 due to a scheduled workshop two days later. Their next meeting will be held on March 7.
The Park Board meets monthly at the Hendricks County Parks & Recreation main office located at 955 E. Main Street in Danville. They generally meet on the first Wednesday of each month at 2 p.m., except for the cancelled February meeting and the meeting in July. The board will meet on July 11 to avoid Independence Day.
All Park Board meetings are open to the public and include a portion for public input.
Information about the Hendricks County Park Board, including meeting agendas and minutes, can be found at www.HendricksCountyParks.org.
