Jeff Banning Receives 2026 Parks Leadership Award: PFOHC Renames Award in His Honor
At this year’s Picnic for the Parks Luncheon, the Parks Foundation of Hendricks County honored Jeff Banning with the 2026 Leadership Award…and shared a surprise that few saw coming.
Moving forward, the award will be known as the Jeff Banning Parks Leadership Award.
For many in the room, the announcement felt inevitable. In Hendricks County, Jeff Banning is synonymous with parks and trails.
Jeff has been involved with PFOHC since the very beginning. As a founding board member and past president, vice president, and secretary, he helped guide the organization through its earliest stages and steady growth. His professional work as founder of Banning Engineering has influenced development across the county, but his dedication to parks and trails in Hendricks County has always gone beyond business. It’s personal.
Jeff has an instinct for connection. A park isn’t just a park. A trail isn’t just a trail. Jeff thinks about how spaces link together, how improvements build over time, and how today’s investments shape the experience of future families. That long-view perspective has quietly shaped conversations, partnerships, and projects for decades.
Because Jeff works without fanfare, it can be difficult to fully measure his impact. But spend enough time in Hendricks County, and you begin to notice how often his insight, encouragement, or introduction helped move something forward. He gives generously of his time, shows up, and connects people. He keeps good work moving.
In renaming the Leadership Award in his honor, PFOHC recognized more than a single year of service. The Jeff Banning Leadership Award will carry forward the qualities he has modeled for decades: thoughtful growth, generosity, and a deep belief that parks and trails strengthen the fabric of Hendricks County.
Jeff may not seek attention, but this recognition reflects something many already know: parks and trails in Hendricks County are stronger because of his leadership.