PARK BOARD
Board Elections
The governing body of the District is composed of five park commissioners elected for staggered four-year terms. A president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer are selected by the commissioners from among the elected members of the board. The daily administrative functions of the District are the responsibility of the executive director, who is appointed by the board. Learn about current Park Board Commissioners below and contact the board with general inquiries.
Two seats of the five-member Park District of Oak Park Board will be filled at the April 1, 2025 consolidated election. Park Board positions are unpaid. Candidate materials are available on Illinois State Board of Elections website.
There is a minimum number of registered voters’ signatures required in order to be placed on the ballot. The filing period for the April election will be Tuesday, November 12, 2024 through Monday, November 18, 2024 at the Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison St., where a Park District representative will accept the filing.
The office will remain open until 5:00P on Monday, November 18, the last day of the filing period. No petitioner packets will be accepted before or after the stated dates and times. The Park District of Oak Park staff cannot provide any election or legal advice for any petitioners. Petitioners are encouraged to contact the Cook County Clerk’s Office.
Click here to view Petition Filing Guidance from the Office of the Village Clerk.
Please Note: The Park District of Oak Park provides elections information for potential candidates for the office of Park Commissioner only as a convenience and public service. All efforts are made to ensure that information is accurate and current. However, users should not consider this information as an official or authoritative source, and candidates are themselves primarily responsible for compliance with the Illinois Election Code. Candidates are advised to independently verify information received, which should in no way be construed as legal advice, and should contact an attorney or election officials with the State or County if they require legal assistance or advice.
Serving on A Park District Board - What does that mean?
Interested in serving on a Park District Board? Please review the following pamphlet from the Illinois Association of Park Districts which provides a detailed overview of Serving on a Park District Board.Â
Meet the Board
Kassie Porreca, President
Kathleen Porreca, a school administrator, moved to Oak Park in 2008. She served on the Park District Citizen Committee from 2011 to 2015 and was a member of the Park District Comprehensive Plan Committee in 2010. She was first elected in April 2015 and then again in 2019 and 2023 to four-year terms as a commissioner of the Park District of Oak Park. Kassie received the Master Board Member recognition from the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) in January 2019.
She and her husband enjoy their two West Highland terriers. She has a grown son, who also lives in the Chicagoland area with his family.
Jake Worley-Hood, Vice President
Jake Worley-Hood is a musician and educator and is a third-generation Oak Park resident. He grew up in Oak Park, attended Oak Park schools, and worked for the Park District for several years as a high school and college student. He has a passion for the arts and is a professional trumpet player and teacher for area middle and high school students. He has also taught audio recording and production at several colleges and managed a small jazz record label. Jake moved back to Oak Park with his wife in 2013 to raise a family. They now have two preschool age daughters and a small dog to keep them busy. He and his family have a strong passion for the outdoors fostered by summers spent in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Â
Jake was elected to the board in 2019 and 2023.
Sandy Lentz, Secretary
Sandy is in her third term as a Park District Commissioner. She was elected in 2013, 2017, and 2021. Following five years as President of the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory, she joined the District’s Greening Advisory Committee. She now serves as Board Liaison to that committee and to the Park District Citizen Committee. Sandy received the Master Board Member recognition from the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) in January 2018.
Her community activities include University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener and Trustee and co-chair of the Grace Care meal ministry at Grace Lutheran Church. She and her husband David have a son and two grandchildren.
David Wick, Treasurer
David is currently in his third term, being elected in 2013, 2017, and then again in 2021. He is a life-long resident of Oak Park and received a bachelor’s degree from Concordia University in River Forest. David is very active in Park District programming such as softball and volleyball. He is also an active volunteer with Hephzibah Children’s Home and other local non-profit agencies. David received the Master Board Member recognition from the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) in January 2018.
Chris Wollmuth, Commissioner
Chris has lived in Oak Park for almost twenty years with his wife and two teenage daughters. He served on the Green Advisory Committee of the PDOP from 2012 to 2019, including the last four years as Chairperson. Before that he ran the after-school program at Hatch Elementary School, Hatch After Hours, for three years. He is a local architect and landscape designer and has an extensive background in sustainable issues in both arenas. Chris loves to travel with family, especially to National Parks, still plays soccer, and enjoys tennis with friends. He spends time as much time as possible in his own garden as a way to recharge.
Chris was elected to the board in 2019 and 2023.
