The new executive director of the Bloomingdale Park District said she wanted follow in the footsteps of her stepfather as the director of a park district since she was 15 years old.

Now she has the opportunity.

Carrie Ann Haupert was named as the district’s new executive director last week. She will fill the vacancy of longtime executive director Steve Scholten, who resigned last month to take a similar position in Arlington Heights. Scholten had been executive director for 16 years.

Haupert will take the reins in Bloomingdale starting Wednesday, July 9, said Park District spokeswoman Anita Escalante.

Haupert, 39, of St. Charles, said she has always wanted to lead a park district, just as her stepfather Walter C. Johnson did.

“It’s always been a dream of mine,” she said.
Haupert said she is looking forward to leading a park district that claims one of the best reputations in the area.

“I am really impressed with the facilities, the staff and the community here,” Haupert said. “This will be an incredible experience for me.”

The Bloomingdale Park District is listed as an Illinois Distinguished Agency and was the 2006 winner of the National Gold Medal Award for Park and Recreation Excellence.

“I’m excited about this opportunity to join such an established and highly regarded park district,” said Haupert.

She comes to Bloomingdale after serving as director of parks and recreation for the village of Hinsdale, where she has worked since 2006.  Haupert has previously served as superintendent of special facilities and community adult education and recreation coordinator at the Wheaton Park District, and started her career at the Schaumburg Park District.

She has also been a member of numerous professional leadership committees of the Illinois Park and Recreation Association, district officials said.

“Carrie has the experience, professional expertise and enthusiasm to build on the Park District’s foundation and lead us to leverage our strengths and enhance our community collaborations,” said Park Board President Mike Vogl.

Haupert said her immediate goal is to implement her “90-day plan,” which she said will give her the opportunity to meet the entire staff and get to know the district and community.

“My first goal is to learn as much as I can about the district, and the people that make it,” she said.

She describes herself as a “collaborative” manager who believes in working together with a group to achieve goals and objectives.

Haupert said she met with residents and other village leaders during the Bloomingdale Family Fest last weekend, and was impressed by the cooperative effort and partnership the district has with the rest of the community.

“The Bloomingdale Park District is full of potential, and I am eager to connect with the community at large and experience the vitality of the district, from its staff to its participants and corporate partners and board members," said Haupert. “The Park District’s resources are impressive and will help fuel innovative programming that will continue to link the park district to the community."

The district will host a public event inviting everyone in the community to come out and meet their new director in the coming weeks, Escalante said.