Meet The Park Lady
My name is Haley Colucci, and I am an award-winning park and recreation professional with over eight years of experience enhancing community engagement through strategic marketing solutions that are inclusive and sustainable. I collaborate with park districts and community organizations to develop programs, plans, and partnerships that align vision with action, delivering measurable impact.
After graduating from Loras College with a BA in public relations and Spanish, my vocation became clear: I wanted to do something ethical and meaningful with my time. This calling opened the door to a career that has spanned the last eight years.
Before my most recent role as Superintendent of Marketing & Communications at the Oak Brook Park District, I worked for the Wheeling, Hoffman Estates, Winfield, and Batavia Park Districts. These experiences provided me with a broad perspective on organizational structures, community engagement, and operational needs. My expertise encompasses strategic and master planning, sponsorship development, fundraising, print and digital content creation, and corporate and community relations.
I also bring a strong background in marketing and communications, including professional writing, public speaking, social media strategy, website content and design, and public relations. These skills enable me to help organizations communicate their value clearly, increase visibility, and engage the community in meaningful ways through inclusive park services.
At the core of my practice is a strong belief that parks are for all people. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to everything I do, informing how I advise, plan, and implement solutions that create welcoming, accessible, and equitable park and recreation systems.
In 2025, I made the difficult yet deeply rewarding decision to raise my daughter full-time. Stepping into the role of 'Director of Household,' as I like to say, wasn’t part of the plan I had envisioned. However, as park and recreation professionals know, plans have a way of changing. Fortunately, adaptability and creative problem-solving are second nature in our field.
Experiencing the world anew through my daughter’s eyes, I found myself visiting parks, registering for parent-and-tot classes, and reconnecting with nature in a more personal way. One afternoon, while taking a leisurely walk with my daughter through the Glenview Park District’s beautiful Gallery Park, I caught myself laughing as a realization set in: Had I just become a park and recreation user?
Public servants in this industry rarely have the luxury of recreating themselves. We work long days, late nights, and countless weekends. Feeling the joy of the 'user' experience reminded me how grateful I was to have once been a 'provider,' and to have played a role in creating moments like these for others.
Somewhere between swim lessons and music class, it became clear that I didn’t have to choose between professional purpose and personal presence. I could do both. And it was in that space that I founded The Park Lady, a creative marketing practice dedicated to telling the stories of parks and recreation in ways that connect, inspire, and endure. That’s my story. Now, let me help you tell yours.