Park Board Candidate Paul Zima

Paul Zima

Age: 45
Family: Wife - Kelly, Daughter – Kaitlyn (age 3), Son- Parker (age 1)
Education: BA – University of Wisconsin, MBA – DePaul University
Occupation: Senior Customer Business Manager
Previous Elected or Appointed Offices: Northbrook Park District Commissioner, May 2009-Present
Other community involvement: Northbrook Days Volunteer
Position sought: Northbrook Park District Commissioner
Campaign E-mail address: pzima@nbparks.org
Campaign committee: Michael Schyman, Penny Randel, and Paul Zima
Campaign Websites, Facebook or Twitter: Facebook “Re-Elect Randel, Schyman, and Zima”

Why are you running?

I have witnessed the value and the sense of community our Park District’s facilities and services provide. From young families to seniors, the Northbrook Park District offers opportunities for people to learn together, play together, and congregate as a community. As a father of two young children, I have found Northbrook parks to be invaluable as a place for our family to spend time together. The value that our parks add to the community of Northbrook compels me to play a role in the future of the Northbrook Park District.

In what ways would the community benefit from your service?

As a current Park District Commissioner, I bring four years of valuable experience and learning to the board. Additionally, my professional background is in marketing and sales, and I have been able to apply many of the skills from my professional life to the board on which I currently serve. These include budgeting, project management, and understanding demographic information all are part of the contributions I make to the board.

What is the biggest challenge the Park Board faces and what should be done to address it?

The Park District needs to continually update its services and facilities to stay current with community needs. As the population ages, we need to offer balanced programs for all ages and need to make sure we provide space that can accommodate those programming needs.

What do you think the Park Board does well?

The Board provides strong fiscal responsibility to the taxpayer. The Northbrook Park District was recently awarded the “Certificate of Achievement in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association. It also one of a handful of Illinois Park Districts that maintains a AAA credit rating. Through responsible, planned spending the Park District has provided continuous improvement to our parks and strong taxpayer value.

What should be some of the Park Board’s priorities be over the next four years?

The Board needs to maintain strong financial discipline. We are a taxing authority and need to ensure that we are spending taxpayer dollars wisely. Secondly, we need to align services and facilities with the needs of the community. As the community changes, the Park District should be quick to adapt. Lastly, we need to have not only transparency with the community, but involvement from the community on major decisions affecting the Park District. We have had many very successful community input sessions and that practice needs to continue.

What else would you like voters to know?

I have had the privilege to serve Northbrook for the past four years as a Park District Commissioner. I have learned much during that time from Park District Staff, my fellow Commissioners and members of the community. In addition to my Board experience, I am a father of young children and have a profound understanding of the value of our Park District on families. I know I can continue to make a positive impact on the Park District over the next four years!