Village manager, former top cop retiring in Streamwood
Gary O'Rourke is, by his own words, "pretty low-key."
He's soft-spoken, and doesn't even have an official headshot at the village of Streamwood. So it's no surprise that there will be no big party, just a "small gathering," to pay tribute to his more than two decades serving the suburb of about 40,000.
O'Rourke is retiring after his 10-year anniversary as Streamwood's village manager. His last day on the job is May 14.
When he steps down, he hopes "people will look back and say, 'Streamwood was a little better than before.'"
In 1996, O'Rourke, then the village's police chief, was named acting village manager. He served in both roles for eight years until trustees appointed him permanently to the top administrative position in 2005.
Ask him about his accomplishments, and he doesn't point to the recognitions, but the challenges. He credited the board and department heads for weathering the Great Recession by cutting back without impacting services. The village, among other things, offered employees incentives to retire early and reduced staffing by over 10 percent.
O'Rourke will leave Streamwood with one item of outstanding debt, 2005 bonds used to build the new police station and make improvements to the municipal campus on Irving Park Road.
"The village board here has always taken a very fiscally conservative stance," he said.
Sharon Caddigan, the assistant village manager, will become O'Rourke's successor. He called Caddigan, who has risen through the ranks, the natural choice.
The village's former community development director, Caddigan has ties to businesses and civic groups, O'Rourke noted. She also is on the board of directors for the Educational Foundation in Elgin Area School District U-46, a fundraising arm for the second-largest district in the state.
After a 37-year career in municipal government, O'Rourke says he decided to retire to "spend a little more time with family and just relax."
"I've very proud of the work we've done collectively," he said.