The Illinois State University Recreation and Park Administration faculty invite you to the Illinois State University Recreation and Park Administration Alumni and Friends Social at the 2023 IAPD/IPRA Soaring to New Heights Conference!

Friday, January 27, 2022
6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Plaza Ballroom at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

There will be complimentary beverage tickets for the first 50 alumni/friends, door prizes, light hors d'oeuvres, and a cash bar. Come meet our current students, welcome the new faculty members who have joined our team since our last social, and reconnect with your classmates, friends, and faculty.

We will be honoring two members of our RPA family at this year’s social:

We will recognize Mike Baiardo as the 2022 honoree, since we had to cancel last year’s event due to the pandemic. Mike, a 2002 RPA graduate, is the Director of Facilities at the Bolingbrook Park District and was recently recognized as a 2022 ISU Alumni Day honoree.

We will recognize Nancy Niebur-Parente as the 2023 honoree. Nancy was a beloved RPA faculty member from 1996-2013 who passed away on May 26, 2022. Nancy had a tremendous impact on our program and our students. She was an avid attendee of the IAPD/IPRA conference and alumni social each year, unable to cross the hotel lobby without recognizing numerous past students and often connecting them with each other. We thought it fitting to honor her legacy at this year’s social.

We are thrilled to revive this annual event after a pandemic hiatus. Let’s reconnect our RPA family!