Roselle Village Administrator Jeff O'Dell will retire in May

Roselle Village Administrator Jeff O'Dell announced recently he will retire the first week in May after 21 years.

First hired as assistant village administrator in Roselle in June 2000, O'Dell became the village administrator in June 2006 and helped the village steer through financial growth and hardships.

During the Great Recession, village leaders eliminated a $1 million budget deficit by reducing the number of staff positions in the village and prioritizing core services to residents. While necessary, O'Dell said the staff cuts were among the most difficult decisions he had to make in his career.

But those changes also prepared Roselle for financial recovery in that period, and it gave a blueprint that helped the village withstand the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020, he said.

"Both the recession and the pandemic required all of us at the village to roll up our sleeves and figure out how best serve the community in new and different ways," O'Dell said.

Roselle is in good financial standing as he departs, O'Dell said, and he believes projects such as the Metro 19 apartment complex will position the village for long-term success.

The $80 million, 5-acre complex will be the largest development in Roselle's history. Approved in January, it will be adjacent to the Roselle Metra Station and include a five-story, 293-unit apartment building with a parking garage that would be used by residents and Metra commuters.

O'Dell, 62, has been working in public administration for 27 years. Prior to working in Roselle, he worked as an intern and as a management analyst in Morton Grove for six years. He earned his bachelor's degree from Elmhurst University and his master's degree in public administration from Northern Illinois University.

Born and raised in Carol Stream, O'Dell said he considers Roselle his second home, and the most gratifying thing about working for the village was working with the village's management and staff, and being an active member of the community.

"My range of duties on any given day could see me working through an issue with a senior citizen over the phone, working on a collaborative project with other taxing bodies in our community, or overseeing an organization with a $40 million budget, and I enjoyed being able to be in all those roles as a public servant," he said.

In retirement, O'Dell said, he plans to do more volunteering and spend more time with his family and plans to move to Madison, Wisconsin, next year.

His retirement follows Roselle Mayor Andy Maglio, who is not seeking reelection for the April 6 elections. Wayne Domke, David Pileski and Pete Pellegrino are running to replace him.

• Trey Arline is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.