Steve Scholten Classification Talk

New member, Steve Scholten, Director of the Arlington Heights Park District, gave his Classification talk, and interesting presentation about himself, his family and his professional life. Steve grew up in Elk Grove. Here’s a test – Steve cited material that could make him a Fine Master – see if you know or recall the following: banking at Arlington Federal, getting a bike at Winkleman’s, buying sports equipment at Cunningham-Reilly, and getting a suite at Svoboda’s (Steve even worked part time there!). If you don’t, ask Steve or a Senior Active about where these businesses were.

Having worked 33 years in parks and recreation, 25 of which have been as a director, Steve feels fortunate to have enjoyed “most every day of it”...and enjoying 32 wonderful years of marriage to Peggy plus having four wonderful and “employed” kids. Three are living at home, three working as teachers and one with a program dealing with animals),

We’re jealous of two significant experiences he shared from his life – working as the Sox home bull pen catcher in 1987 and serving as a high school referee at the Class IV state championships in 2008.

Steve has been Arlington’s director for about a year. He showed a video which is part of the district’s competition for, he hopes, it’s fourth award for excellence. The video, appearing on the district’s web site soon, will also be used in public relations efforts. He views the district and Arlington itself as being special. They have “remarkable community support, a budget that hasn’t raised it’s levy, nor laid of staff, nor cut programs.” Steve believes the district’s commitment to neighborhood parks plays a key role in the Park District's success.

Check out the district’s web site at www.ahpd.org. There you’ll even find a good photo of another Arlington Rotarian and Park Board Trustee, Bob Whisler – he must have been smiling at yet another Arlington Rotarian, spouse Deb.