Anita B. Gorman was inducted into the Missouri Recreation and Parks Hall of Fame on Thursday, February 26, 2015. Mrs. Gorman has worked to improve Kansas City’s quality of life for more than 50 years. Her leadership in and work with many groups and organizations has helped the city blossom.
Mrs. Gorman was the first woman appointed to the Kansas City, Missouri Board of Park and Recreation Commissioners, serving from 1979 until 1991. During her tenure, many things were accomplished: the building of many fountains, the passing of bonds to support and expand the Kansas City Zoo, the acquisition of property for additional parks and boulevards, conservation and restorative work on sculptures and monuments, and improvements made to local community centers and recreationl facilities.
Mrs. Gorman also served on the Missouri Conservation Commission from 1993 until 2005 and became the first woman to chair the commission in 1996. Her focus was to help urban communities better connect with nature and the importance of conservation. In addition, Mrs. Gorman has been a member of the City of Fountains Foundation since its beginning in 1973. The Foundation works in partnership with the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department to operate and maintain 47 publicly-owned fountains.
Today Mrs. Gorman continues her work on behalf of Kansas City’s Parks and Recreation projects. She has been a strong supporter of sales tax increases to better fund parks and recreation activities for many years to come.
In November 2014, Mrs. Gorman was also recognized as the “2014 Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer” by the Mid-America Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Throughout her life of work on Kansas City’s behalf, Mrs. Gorman has had the support of her husband, Gerald, her children and grandchildren. No matter how extensive her activities, her passion remains steadfast for Kansas City, and she encourages the next generation to step up and strive to work on its behalf, to leave it a better place.
About the Missouri Recreation and Parks Hall of Fame:
The Missouri Recreation and Parks Hall of Fame award was developed by Missouri Park and Recreation Association in 2009 to honor professionals and special individuals who have made outstanding, unique, lasting and extraordinary contributions to the recreation and park movement in Missouri. Twenty seven individuals have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since its inception. All have been outstanding professionals working to heighten the profession of parks and recreation and enhance the quality of life to our citizens.
About the Missouri Park and Recreation Association:
The Missouri Park and Recreation Association, whose members work to provide opportunities for all state’s citizens to enjoy quality leisure activities, is dedicated to promoting public support for parks and recreation and public awareness of the contribution of recreation to a balanced life. The association works to ensure the growth and improve the quality and accessibility of urban and rural parks, open spaces and recreation lands, facilities and programs for all Missourians. It promotes research and information dissemination on parks, conservation, recreation and leisure issues.