Cassidy named Neumann Award winner

Tim Cassidy, president of the Peoria Park District Board of Trustees, was named the winner of the 2012 Ray A. Neumann Tri-County Citizen of the Year Award.

The Kiwanis Club of Peoria, which sponsors the award, presented it to Cassidy on Wednesday.

This is the 50th anniversary of the award, which is named for the late Peoria civic leader and former Kiwanis president, Ray A. Neumann. The award recognizes leadership, community service and contributions to solving community issues in the Tri-County area.

Cassidy has served as a Park Board trustee since 1987 and as board president since 1992.

During this time he has consistently placed a high value on maintaining and enhancing the

community's natural assets.

A longtime proponent of providing a regional trail system, Cassidy facilitated the Park District receiving a $3.75 million grant for the engineering and construction of a bridge for the Peoria Park District Rock Island Greenway at Junction City on Knoxville.

Cassidy also helped develop a partnership between the Peoria Park District, the Peoria Zoological Society and the Junior League of Peoria. This partnership led to the initiation of the Power of Play campaign, a joint $8 million campaign to build the Peoria PlayHouse Children's Museum and enhance the Peoria Zoo.

Cassidy is a life-long Peoria resident and has been involved in other community service commitments, including IHSA's March Madness Experience and ACCESS the Experience; past chairman and member of the Board of Trustees for EPIC (formerly Parc); served as

treasurer for Peoria Notre Dame High School Parent Board Association and chaired 11 consecutive Notre Dame High School Alumni fundraising golf outings benefiting the school; named Peoria Notre Dame High School 2003 Alumnus of the Year.

In 1996, Cassidy was awarded the Charles C. Schlink Good Government Award by the Peoria Jaycees.

In 2009, Cassidy received the Tom Connor Service Award, presented by the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce.