Peter Murphy is President and CEO of the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD). He is responsible for the formation of IPARKS as a response to the insurance crisis facing IAPD’s membership and has been a member of the IPARKS Board since its inception in 1991. He has nearly 50 years of experience with state and local government. Peter joined the IAPD in 1980 as the Association’s General Counsel and was responsible for the initiation and passage of landmark legislation pertaining to park districts, forest preserves, conservation districts, recreation, and special recreation agencies on statewide and national levels, including the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Program (OSLAD), which has provided more than $617 million in grants to these agencies. Matched locally, this has resulted in more than $1.5 billion dollars being invested in the outdoor recreational infrastructure of communities throughout Illinois. As IAPD President and CEO, he has extensive experience in transitional leadership, customer service, and organizational design and development. He manages the Association’s day-to-day operations and personnel and works with the IAPD Board of Trustees on the development and implementation of strategic plans and member-centric goals. He is a prolific author and actively establishes corporate and nonprofit partnerships and directs all Association programmatic activities and services including advocacy, research, board member training, publications, education, public awareness, and marketing. Peter received his Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Michigan and his Juris Doctorate from the New England School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2003, he was inducted into the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration. In 2024, Peter was inducted into the Illinois Conservation Foundation’s Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame for his work promoting the preservation of open space and the development of parks and recreational facilities for all Illinoisans. He was awarded the prestigious Cornelius Amory Pugsley Medal for Parks and Conservation from the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration in 2024 for his outstanding contributions to the promotion and development of public parks and conservation in the United States.