Meet the candidates running for DeKalb Park District board

Editor’s note: To learn more about other candidates running for elected office in your community, check out our digital Daily Chronicle Voter Guide at www.shawlocal.com/daily-chronicle/election. You also can read candidates' full responses to our questionnaire, watch or listen to a video forum for contested races hosted by Shaw Local News Network.

DeKALB – Some candidates running for the DeKalb Park District’s Board of Commissioners recently shared their views on priorities if elected.

DeKalb voters on April 1 will get to choose three out of five candidates seeking four-year terms on the park board: incumbent Douglas Eaton, incumbent Dag Grada, Michelle Foster, Tia Anderson and Dean Bourdages. Commissioners decide how to spend the park district’s money, what programs and park services to prioritize, set the annual property tax levy, among other things. Eaton did not respond to Shaw Local’s questionnaire invitation.

Candidates were asked to share their platform and priorities if elected in a Shaw Local News Network questionnaire. Here are some of their responses, edited for length and listed in alphabetical order. To view their full responses, visit our Election Central webpage.

Tia Anderson

About

Anderson, 45, works at Heartland Bank & Trust, said she’s running to help park facilities “flourish and thrive.” She said she daily uses district facilities, including golfing, running and hiking. She said her son attended the district’s summer camp growing up, and the district has played a significant role in her family’s life in DeKalb.

District’s top 3 most pressing needs?

“Executive Director retention. I want to seek and address the cracks on why we are on our 3rd ED in maybe a 5-year span. Opportunities have been missed, and growth and progress have slowed during these transition times.

Fiscal responsibility. Money was left on the table regarding tax dollars from Meta. I would take the time to delve into the financials and follow-up with identified opportunities and are indeed being pursued and acquired.

Listen to the staff of the Park District. Some of the staff have expressed that they feel their voices aren’t important to the Board. They are the ones with boots on the ground every day. I will listen to their ideas, successes, and challenges and take those into consideration as a Board Commissioner."

Dean Bourdages

About

Bourdages, 65, said he’s running to ensure DeKalb park’s and recreational facilities are open and accessible to all. He said he believes parks are “vital to our health, well being and social connection.” He wants to bring new ideas and a collaborative-approach to decision making. He said he regularly golfs at district courses at bikes on local trials, and takes his grandchildren to the new Hopkins Park playground.

Park District’s top 3 most pressing needs?

“The pool renovation project needs to be monitored. The board and staff need to make sure the project stays within the budget and is finished on time. Some of the park district buildings are old enough now that we need to look at the conditions of the roofs, HVAC , parking lots and roads that are inside our parks. We should formulate a plan that is based on what needs to be replaced or repaired and develop a long term plan.”

Michelle Foster

About

Foster, 46, said she’s running because she knows the value district facilities bring to the community and to her family. She said she knows green spaces are vital to community wellness. She wants to bring new ideas for innovation, accessibility and environmental sustainability. She said she regularly makes use of district facilities, including for walks and kayaking.

District’s top 3 most pressing needs?

“Concern #1 - Hopkins Pool Construction First, we must focus on the new pool construction project to ensure it stays on pace for construction this year. Our community has already spent a year without a pool, causing understandable disappointment among residents. If elected, I would prioritize regular communication with the community about construction timelines and design plans, with a goal of ensuring transparency through the process. I would work with staff to identify any potential roadblocks and address them promptly to prevent further delays.

Concern #2 - Keeping pace with ongoing improvements, renovations and upgrades.

Second, the board needs to provide continued, careful oversight of the Park District’s overall renovation and upgrade plans already in development, such as the the planned updates to League of Women Voters Park. As commissioner, I would ensure these projects align with community priorities while maintaining fiscal responsibility. I would regularly review progress reports, budget allocations, and contractor performance to keep projects on track and within budget.

Concern #3 - Fiscal responsibility with a look toward the future Third, we must strengthen accountability to voters regarding how their tax dollars are being spent. Drawing on my commitment to fiscal responsibility, I would advocate for clear reporting mechanisms that demonstrate to residents how their investment is improving our park system. I would also urge staff to look into grant opportunities for funding future improvements. I would push for accessible financial summaries and project updates that help build trust between the park district and the community it serves.

By addressing these priorities with a collaborative approach that values community input, fiscal responsibility, and transparent communication, we can ensure the DeKalb Park District effectively serves our residents both now and in the future."

Dag Grada

About

Grada, 60, is seeking reelection to the Park Board, where he’s served for 10 years and currently is board president. He said he’s running again to ensure project continuity and completion and grow institutional knowledge since the district’s senior staff has seen significant turnover.

District’s top 3 most pressing needs?

“Master and Strategic Planning

Golf courses are in much better shape than they were a handful of years back with a derelict irrigation system replaced, and numerous other capital improvements realized. Swimming pool replacement is finally underway, no more worrying if its next breath would be its last. No longer (almost) have fleet vehicles which would qualify for antique license plates. Replacing out trails which were built asphalt on dirt, less expensive initially but more so on the long run when they fail. Most of the major issues of the past ten years have been addressed and the district is in a better place than it was ten years past. We now need to define through effective planning where we could or should go in the next ten years. An uncoordinated, higgelty piggelty approach to development and improvement is not cost effective, so we need to define our course going forward.

Diversity of recreational opportunities

Once upon a time, you took a parcel of land and slapped a generic, plastic playground on it, installed some pathes and benches and trees, and called it a park. Golf course for the big kids and swimming pool for the families, what else do you need? We can do better.

If you look back through park district media, you’ll find a goofy photo of me playing in the sprayground at Welsh Park when we opened it, and another of me testing the zipline at the Shipman Park rebuild. What do we have that you’ll not find, rinse and repeat, in any other town? What sets us apart? What can spark the imagination of a young child, or physically challenge a tween? There’s nature play and creative play and any number of ways to describe the play the came normally with many of my generation, but seems to become increasingly more challenging for each subsequent generation to realize. We can do better.

Staff stability and continuity

Earlier this year, I had an enjoyable conversation with senior staff of a larger, suburban park district whose work I’ve admired. I was surprised to find that the majority of their senior staff had been with the district for twenty or more years. DeKalb has had five executive directors in the past dozen years and our senior departmental superintendent has been with us a bit over ten years. There aren’t easy answers with this one, but we have an engaged executive director and are building from there."