Wauconda ready to hire new village administrator

After a four-month search, Wauconda officials have found their next village administrator.

The job has been offered to Kevin Timony, who now serves as Grayslake's assistant village manager, and he's accepted.

It's now up to the Wauconda village board to formally approve Timony's hiring. That should happen at the panel's Nov. 7 meeting, and he'll start work Nov. 13.

Timony is excited about the opportunity.

"What appealed to me with this position was an opportunity to not just advance my career, but to do it in a place that has many of the similar community attributes that I enjoyed during my time in Grayslake, such as the downtown, active civic groups and residents, community events, and the overall small-town feel," he said.

Timony, of Libertyville, is set to replace Doug Maxeiner as Wauconda's village administrator.

Maxeiner left in June to take a similar post in Moline. He'd been on the job in Wauconda since 2013.

Public Works Director Brad Fink has served as interim administrator.

Timony has been Grayslake's assistant manager since 2014. He previously worked as the town's special services and economic development manager, and before that he was a management assistant for the village.

Wauconda Mayor Lincoln Knight was particularly taken with Timony's financial management experience and the time he's spent working with businesses and other groups to promote economic growth.

"(That's) very consistent with our village and future plans," Knight said.

A Northbrook consulting firm called GovHR USA led the search for Maxeiner's replacement.

Fifty-seven people applied for the job. That list was whittled down to five semifinalists who were interviewed by trustees and then two finalists who met with Knight and department heads.

The large number of applicants "reflects the overall impression in northeastern Illinois that Wauconda is a village where people want to live, work and play," Trustee Richard Morino said.

Morino and the other trustees approved a contract offer for Timony Oct. 17, following a closed-door discussion. It calls for a first-year salary of $125,000, Knight said.

The contract would expire at the end of Knight's term in May 2021 but could be extended.