Although Ted Flickinger was elected to the Springfield Park District Board in 2011 he is no stranger to the Park and Recreation field. He received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in park and recreation management from Southern Illinois University, and his Ph.D. with a specialization in natural resources management from the Ohio State University. He is a Certified Park and Recreation Professional and Certified Association Executive.

In 2010 he retired from the Illinois Association of Park Districts, where he was the chief executive for 30 years. In that that time, the association grew from 140 member agencies to more than 415 agency and associate members He has prudently managed the association’s $2.05 million budget, which has never shown a deficit the entire time he has was president and CEO.

He has served in various capacities for many professional organizations, including president of the National Recreation and Park Association, the Illinois Society of Association Executives, the American Park and Recreation Society and the Springfield Parks Foundation Board of Trustees. He has given keynote speeches at numerous state and national conferences on the subjects of boardmanship and legislative advocacy and has conducted conference sessions, workshops, seminars and keynote speeches in 27 states and at more than 20 national conferences. He is the author of Are You on Board? and Get on Board, two books on the subject of leadership for chief executive officers and policy-making boards.