Carpentersville names new fire chief

After naming a new Carpentersville fire chief dedicated to improving communication, village officials are optimistic about mending their historically contentious relationship with the firefighters union.

John-Paul Schilling, who begins his new position June 28, has worked in the field for more than 25 years, most recently as fire chief at the Cedar Falls Public Safety Fire Rescue Division in Iowa since 2009.

"I hope to learn a lot, but I also hope to share a lot," Schilling said. "I do like sharing my experiences and my education with those people that work for me and also with the community."

Schilling, whose starting annual salary is $130,000, was chosen out of 45 applicants to replace Chief John Skillman, a longtime member of the department who retired last week, Village Manager J. Mark Rooney said. The village used recruiting firm GovHR USA to narrow down the pool of candidates.

In addition to having favorable communication and leadership styles, Rooney said, Schilling also stood out because of his experience in succession planning and filling key roles within a department.

Additionally, Rooney said, he believes Schilling will help repair the relationship between the village and the Carpentersville Professional Firefighters Union.

"His ability to communicate rational decisions and choices, and stand by those that communicate the rationale to the department, I think will go a long way to bridging the management-labor divide," Rooney said. "His ability to lead, as well as solicit input and communicate, will bring a great level of success to the department moving forward."

Village, union and fire department officials have already begun creating a list of goals and action plans for the department's future that will be presented to Schilling, Rooney said.

Having spent a large part of his childhood in the Chicago area, Schilling said he's always been interested in returning. He and his family are moving to Carpentersville later this month.

In the meantime, Schilling has already hit the ground running. In addition to talking with village officials, he spent Saturday visiting fire stations, meeting with members of the department, and listening to their thoughts and concerns.

"My intent is to hopefully improve communication up and down the ladder," Schilling said. "I'm really excited to bring my experience to Carpentersville - to take all the good things that the fire department does and that the village provides for the citizens and really take them to the next level in public fire safety."