R. Eric Reickel

R. Eric Reickel served the profession of recreation and parks for over 40 years. He has been a lifelong advocate for quality of life issues. Eric demonstrated leadership qualities that impacted the national, state, and local levels in very positive ways.

Eric’s varied professional experiences and expertise was shown when he effectively managed departments in Wyandotte, Trenton, Oakland County Parks and Recreation Commission, Wayne County Park System, and the City of Lansing and currently working as a consultant for Howell. In each of these communities he was successful in completing projects, maximizing the efficiency of his staff, updating master plans and securing millages and numerous grants, acquiring parks and constructing and renovating numerous projects that have established precedents for the profession providing direction for generations to come.

His peers have recognized Eric’s knowledge and broad based experiences. This can be readily identified in the different professional organization where he has been an active participant unselfishly sharing his ideas and concepts at all levels. He has served on numerous committees as member, chair and officer of those organizations including: Michigan Recreation and Park Association, President, Treasurer, Board Member and chaired various committees; National Recreation and Park Association, Great Lakes Regional Council, American Park and Recreation Society, NRPA Standards Revision Task Force, North Carolina State University Revenue Sources Management School and Supervisors Management School, National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials, Southeast Metropolitan Council of Governments Recreation Advisory Committee and the United Community Services of Metro Detroit Leisure Services Division. He also was a member of the American Academy for Parks and Recreation Administration and the Trenton Sports Hall of Fame.

His colleagues describe Eric as a consummate Director, a visionary that not only recognized the public need for leisure services but also identified workable approaches to funding sources to gain maximum success for supporting this need. He demonstrated this by successfully lobbying many times for park millages, securing matching funds and significant federal and state grants to expand parkland and the recreation services being provided that benefited many cities. In addition, he is recognized as an innovator willing to take chances for change that would expand the quality of services thus accruing recreation benefits for the people he served. These innovations include his work to create Michigan’s first wave pool as well as the first indoor golf dome. His leadership in providing such a successful pool operation in Michigan resulted in the construction of many pools of this type in Michigan and throughout the Mid-West.

R. Eric Reickel has never turned down a challenge and has always remained true to his profession and its goals and has served as a mentor to many.