River Trails Park District
R

River Trails Park District

Sports & Recreation

Apt Insight

They're a community-focused public recreation agency offering friendly local teams and great entry-level roles, though long-term growth is modest. Headquartered in Prospect Heights, Illinois, they operate across the public recreation and sports sector. The organization sits in the 51-200 employee size band, managing nine community parks and multiple facilities including Woodland Trails Pool and Rob Roy Golf Course. Founded in 1965, they focus on sports programming, aquatics, and municipal recreation for local residents.
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About

River Trails Park District serves the communities of Mount Prospect and Prospect Heights.
Founded1965
HeadquartersProspect Heights, US
IndustrySports & Recreation
Websitewww.rtpd.org
Employees64

Open roles at River Trails Park District

3 open roles, newest first.
Zone - Parkour & Program SpecialistProspect Heights, Illinois · Onsite
Customer Service RepresentativeProspect Heights, Illinois · Onsite
Facilities Trades Worker 2Prospect Heights, Illinois · Onsite

Why people join & leave

Why join
Welcoming and supportive team environmentFlexible hours for students and seasonal workersOpportunities to develop foundational customer service skills
Why leave
Lower hourly compensationOutdated software and internal systemsPerceived managerial favoritism in select seasonal departments

Company Pulse

Headcount
-20%past year

In the News

Aspen Trails Park upgrades protect Mount Prospect from flooding thanks to MWRD, community assistance | MWRDmwrd.org · May 13, 2026
Woodland Trails Park Community Meeting - River Trails Park Districtrtpd.org · Mar 20, 2026
Sycamore Trails Park Community Meeting - River Trails Park Districtrtpd.org · Feb 19, 2026
MTG-2026-02-05-PUBLIC MEETING-AGENDArtpd.org · Feb 4, 2026
Woodland Trails Park-Prescribed Burns - River Trails Park Districtrtpd.org · Feb 4, 2025

Employee Experience

3.9/5
Career Opportunities
4.0
Compensation & Benefits
3.0
Culture & Values
3.9
Diversity & Inclusion
4.3
Senior Management
3.9
Work-Life Balance
4.0

Quick Take

Strengths
Strong peer recommendations89% of employee reviewers would recommend working here to a friend.
High inclusion ratingDiversity and inclusion holds an 86 out of 100 rating.
Watch out
Low business outlookBusiness outlook rating sits at 13 out of 100 among employee reviews.
Note
Community facility upgradesPartnered on stormwater upgrades and park improvements at Aspen Trails Park.

Things to consider

Low compensation levels — Staff and instructors frequently mention that wages are on the lower end compared to broader industry standards.
Outdated administrative systems — Internal software and operational processes are noted by staff as dated and in need of modernization.

Leadership

LL
Leah LussemBoard President
BF
Bret FahnstromExecutive Director
DO
David OswaldSuperintendent of Finance/HR
PM
Patti MitchellSuperintendent of Recreation
JH
Jeremy HakalaSuperintendent of Parks and Facilities
CP
Christine PowlesSuperintendent of Communications & Marketing

What They Build

As a local government park district, River Trails Park District focuses on facility maintenance systems, web portals, and registration interfaces rather than complex software engineering. Their technical activities focus on maintaining public digital touchpoints and facility management tools. The technical culture revolves around standard office tooling and operational infrastructure management.
Facility Management
Web Applications
Digital Registrations
Public Communications
Domains
Frontend
IT Operations
Content Management
Tech Stack
React
UpKeep
Microsoft Office
AMP