Sortino enters parks hall of fame

Peter G. Sortino, assistant vice chancellor at Washington University in St. Louis, is being inducted into the Missouri Recreation and Parks Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame’s purpose is “to recognize and honor professionals and special individuals who have made outstanding, unique, lasting and extraordinary contributions to the recreation and park movement in Missouri.”

Sortino

Sortino is being recognized for his work, both past and present, with parks, trails and clean-water initiatives. Before joining the university in 2011, he served as president of the Danforth Foundation and of St. Louis 2004.

Among other accomplishments, Sortino coordinated the legislative effort in 2011 to secure approval of the Forest Park Maintenance Agreement with the City of St. Louis, which also involved passage of a $30 million bond issue for capital improvements in Forest Park. He also serves as secretary of Forest Park Forever and is a member of its executive committee.

Sortino also oversaw the successful 2000 campaign to pass Proposition C, which created the first local bistate park and recreation districts in the country.

He currently is coordinating the effort to pass Proposition P, the Safe and Accessible Arch and Public Parks Initiative, which is on the April 2 ballot in St. Louis and St. Louis County.

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place Feb. 28 at Tan-Tar-A Resort at the Lake of the Ozarks and is part of the Missouri Park and Recreation Association’s annual conference. Just 24 other people have been inducted into the MRP Hall of Fame.