Rafael Labrador, Highland Park resident and president of the Parks Foundation of Highland Park, was appointed to the Park District’s Board of Commissioners at the August 21 Workshop Meeting. Labrador will serve until May 2025 in the seat of long-time Commissioner Brian Kaplan, who resigned earlier this year, and will be eligible to run for a 2-year or 6-year term in the April 2025 Consolidated Election.

Labrador, whose professional background includes a long career in biotech marketing, has been with AbbVie in the cancer therapeutics space since 2015. He and his family moved to Highland Park from the East Coast eight years ago. “I fell in love with the parks and recreation opportunities here in Highland Park,” he said, “and I appreciate the diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and culture in our North Shore communities.”

Labrador has served as president of the Parks Foundation since 2021.

During his tenure as president, the Foundation has raised over $100,000 to fund recreational scholarships for Highwood and Highland Park families in need. Through their fundraising efforts, the Foundation has raised close to $1 million in donations to bridge funding gaps in a number of important Park District projects. “I am proud to have been a part of the Foundation which contributed financial resources to the long-awaited Park Avenue Breakwater and Boat Ramp renovations, building Jeff Fox Field, and installing the beautiful Sunset Wood Park rocket ship playground seating plaza,” said Labrador, “and we’re all excited about the new indoor state of the art pickleball and padel facility which is scheduled to open in early 2025.”

In addition to the connections forged between the Parks Foundation and the district, as a resident member of the Park District’s Efficiency Committee, in 2023, Rafael studied the district’s governing statutes, ordinances, rules, procedures, powers, jurisdiction, shared services, intergovernmental agreements, and interrelationships with other governmental units and the State of Illinois. Included in the Efficiency Committee’s responsibilities were collecting data, research, and analysis as necessary to prepare a report to the Lake County Board in compliance with Illinois Decennial Committees on Local Efficiency Act.

“Rafael has been an important and engaged member of the community and the Park District for many years,” said Cal Bernstein, President of the Park Board of Commissioners. “We are thrilled that he has accepted the additional responsibilities that come with being a Park Commissioner, and we look forward to benefiting from his knowledge and expertise.”

“It’s truly an honor to have been asked to serve as a Commissioner,” said Labrador. “The staff at this Park District works hard to bring exceptional programs, camps, and facilities to people every day, and I intend to work just as hard to support them and provide even more fun, healthy recreational activities to the community I love.”