Lorrie Pearson has settled into her new role as the Executive Director of the Champaign County Forest Preserve.
Now, as she prepares a draft budget for FY 2023, Pearson keeps in mind the fiduciary responsibilities of being part of a public entity.
“The draft budget reflects the emphasis placed on completing projects made possible by the referendum,” she said. “We leverage those local tax dollars through grants we receive from a variety of sources, and with private donations made to the Forest Preserve Friends Foundation. We are a lean organization with successful grant and fundraising track records and as a result, we are good at stretching tax dollars.”
Upon passing the 2020 referendum, the CCFPD receives approximately $689,000 in property tax dollars annually to help maintain the properties charged to its care: Homer Lake, Lake of the Woods, Middle Fork River, River Bend, Sangamon River, and the Kickapoo Rail Trail.
Under the direction of Mary Ellen Wuellner, who retired as Executive Director in September, the District repaved roads and trails and replaced aging roofs with new more sustainable materials while also taking care of other maintenance projects and replacements throughout the preserves.
“We are incredibly grateful for the support we receive from County residents, as it means we can invest in our infrastructure and continue to provide the high-quality experiences the community expects of us,” Pearson said.
CCFPD still realizes there is work to do, though.
The group began collecting feedback from community members last spring. Through the development of a comprehensive plan, the District will have a definition to the long-term goals that will include restoration and beach improvements at Willow Pond (Middle Fork River), covered bridge roof replacement (Lake of the Woods), spillway repairs (Lake of the Woods), dam repairs (Homer Lake) and nature center improvements (Homer Lake), among other projects.
“We have a responsibility to the County taxpayers to fulfill the promises made during discussions of the referendum last year,” Pearson said. “We have completed a lot of work already and are in the planning stages for even more.”
That, even more, is what Pearson is looking forward to.
She left a post as the community development services director for the city of Urbana to join the CCFPD team. She brought 20 years of experience in local, county, and regional government.
“During those years I cultivated the mindset of a public servant dedicated to understanding others’ views and their vision for the future so that we all can move in the same direction together,” she said. “I also learned the importance of being a responsible steward of an organization’s finances.
“A big part of responsible stewardship is looking at ways to improve, asking questions like ‘How can we be more efficient?’ or ‘How can we move a barrier to success?’ I also ask ‘What if….’ a lot. For example, if a process isn’t working well, I ask, ‘What if we tried approaching it in a different way?’”
To answer those questions, Pearson spent the first few weeks on the job getting to know her team.
“Everyone has been incredibly generous with their time showing me the ropes, and there are many ropes to learn,” she said.
“I love the variety of what the forest preserves offer. From natural areas to a botanical garden, forests to prairies, educational programs to outdoor recreation: we offer high-quality experiences in each of these areas, and that is something to be proud of.”
