Families who swim at Winnetka's lakefront beaches, play at Elder Lane Park or sign their kids up for programs at 540 Hibbard Road will see those facilities and services shaped by a new five-year plan the Park District Board just adopted.

The Winnetka Park District Board of Commissioners approved the district's 2027–2031 Strategic Plan at its July regular board meeting, according to an announcement published on the district's website Monday, Aug. 24. The plan establishes priorities, goals and objectives for the next five fiscal years and will guide annual work plans, capital planning, budget development, policy initiatives and performance measurement.

The plan did not come together quietly.

Debate preceded adoption

The strategic plan's path to approval included pointed debate over the district's foundational statements. At the board's May 28 meeting, Executive Director Shannon Nazzal told commissioners the plan was in its "final phase" but needed updated mission, vision and values statements before the board could act, as The Record North Shore reported in June.

That discussion drew pushback. Commissioner Colleen Root said at the May 28 meeting that she found it "disappointing, if we were going to change our mission, that we didn't give the public an opportunity to come in and speak to that." Commissioners David Seaman and Cynthia Rapp also raised concerns about proposed wording changes, and the board continued discussions into subsequent meetings.

Whether the board formally adopted new mission and vision statements has not been confirmed. The district's About page was last modified Aug. 24, the same day the strategic plan announcement went live.

Built on community input

The strategic plan grows out of the district's 2025 Comprehensive Master Plan, which was shaped by extensive public engagement including a statistically valid community-wide survey, an open survey, stakeholder interviews, focus groups and public open houses. That process identified 18 focus areas residents flagged as priorities; those focus areas now form the backbone of the strategic plan's goals and objectives.

The district has not published the full list of 18 focus areas in its announcement. The Comprehensive Master Plan document is available on the district's website.

What it guides

The strategic plan will work alongside individual park and area master plans, the district's Long-Range Capital Plan and annual operating and capital budgets to guide decisions on parks, facilities, programs, services, capital investments and organizational initiatives.

The district said in its announcement that it will keep the community informed through its website, email communications and social media channels. The board, led by President Elise Gibson, governs the district from its offices at 540 Hibbard Road in Winnetka.