Buffalo Grove hires deputy village manager

Buffalo Grove has hired a new deputy village manager following the departure of Ghida Neukirch, who resigned this summer to take a similar position in Highland Park.

Jennifer Maltas, currently assistant to the village manager in Deerfield, will take over the post as of Jan. 21.

Neukirch had been with Buffalo Grove since 1999, starting as an assistant to former Village Manager William Balling then moving to deputy village manager in 2006. She began Aug. 1 as Highland Park's deputy city manager.

As part of an intensive recruitment process, Buffalo Grove screened more than 125 candidates seeking her replacement. The interview process involved written exercises and a full day of assessment center activities, such as role playing, in-box exercises, and an impromptu budget presentation, officials said in a news release.

“There was an extraordinary pool of candidates but Ms. Maltas consistently demonstrated a high level of expertise and professionalism throughout the interview process,” Village Manager Dane Bragg said in the release.

Maltas is a graduate of Bradley University with a bachelor of arts degree in political science with minors in sociology and business studies. She earned a masters in public administration in 2007 from Northern Illinois University.

She worked for the village of Schaumburg from 2007 until 2010, specializing in budget and utility issues. In January 2010, she was hired as assistant to the Deerfield village manager.

Maltas has served on many committees for the Illinois Association of Municipal Management Assistants (IAMMA) and Illinois City/County Management Association (ILCMA). She currently serves on the IAMMA board as treasurer and is the chair of the Next Generation Outreach Committee for ILCMA.

In 2012, Maltas was nominated and recognized by her peers, receiving both the IAMMA Outstanding Service Award and the ILCMA Special Service award for her work with the American Cancer Society. She and her family have raised more than $145,000 for cancer research and programs in the last nine years to honor her mother, who passed away from breast cancer.

“I am excited to take on the new challenge as the village of Buffalo Grove's deputy village manager and I look forward to meeting staff and the residents of this excellent community,” she said in the news release.