William Clevenger is a certified Park and Recreation Professional. His experience includes both agency administration and higher education. His current position is Executive Director of the Decatur Park District in Decatur, Illinois.
In his current capacity, he is responsible for a $13 million budget with a staff of 105 full-time and 450 seasonal employees. The Decatur Park District is the focal point for parks and recreation activity in the Decatur area with an indoor sports center, five golf courses, sixty athletic fields, two thousand acres of park land, community pools, a zoo, an equestrian center, an outdoor tennis center and a $1.5 million banquet, food & beverage business. In addition, his responsibility includes operation of the Decatur Airport, which is a primary airport in the State of Illinois.
He has been employed with the Decatur Park District since 1988. Prior to his tenure in Decatur, Bill served as Director of Parks & Recreation for the City of Charleston, West Virginia and Recreation & Parks Curriculum Coordinator at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. In addition, he has held programming positions in both the YMCA and public parks & recreation.
Bill holds degrees in Parks & Recreation Administration from Marshall University (B.S.) and Indiana University (M.S.). He also holds an Ed.S. from the University of Virginia in Community Education and Public Administration.
His professional involvement includes work with the NRPA Council on Accreditation as both a visitor and council member, NRPA Southern Region Conference Local Host, Associate Editor for Journal of Parks and Recreation Administration, IAPD/IPRA Legislative Committee Chair, Illinois Conservation Congress & Executive Committee, Virginia & West Virginia Recreation & Parks Association’s Board of Directors and numerous other committee assignments. In the greater Decatur community, he is actively engaged in work with the Chamber of Commerce, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Decatur School District #61 and several recreational and competitive youth sports programs as both a coach and parent. This ongoing involvement of Bill and the Decatur staff has resulted in several agency and individual awards.