Arlington Hts. names new village manager
Randy Recklaus, the manager of West suburban Clarendon Hills, will be the next village manager of Arlington Heights, village officials have announced.
Recklaus, 39, starts in early November and will be paid a starting annual salary of $180,000, according to a news release. The board will vote to approve his contract at its Sept. 15 meeting.
"After a diligent three-month search process, the village board is confident that we found the right person to manage and serve the village of Arlington Heights for many years to come," Mayor Tom Hayes said in a statement.
"(His) professionalism, leadership skills, and team-oriented approach to customer service quickly became apparent during the interview process. We look forward to introducing (Recklaus) to the staff, and our residents and businesses, upon his arrival in early November."
Recklaus replaces former manager Bill Dixon, who spent 21 years at the helm of Arlington Heights before retiring in June.
Recklaus has been village manager of Clarendon Hills since February 2011. He was the assistant city administrator for Batavia from 2000 to 2011, according to the news release, and worked for St. Charles from 1997 to 1999 as service efforts and accomplishments program coordinator. He also served on the DeKalb County Board from 1994 to 1997.
Recklaus will be only the fifth village manager in Arlington Heights' history. He has a bachelor of science in political science and government from Northern Illinois University, and a master of public administration in urban management.
Recklaus lives in Batavia with his wife, Tracy, and two children, but he said he plans to move to Arlington Heights within the next year.
"Arlington Heights is the premier community in the Northwest suburbs," Recklaus said Friday. "I'm absolutely thrilled to be coming on board as village manager and joining the community as a new resident. It's a great community with a great downtown, an excellent reputation and a stable village board, so I'm really looking forward to it."
The move is a big jump from Clarendon Hills, a DuPage County village of about 8,500 people. Arlington Heights is home to more than 75,000 residents and Recklaus will be managing more than 430 employees and administering a budget of more than $154 million.
"The staff in Arlington Heights is outstanding," Recklaus said. "I've been in the role of village manager before. There will be new challenges, but I'm happy to be joining the team and I'm confident that we will be able to take on whatever is before us."