Barrington selects leader for new communications department

A longtime Barrington resident who's volunteered for several local nonprofits will be the first head of the village's new communications, marketing and events department.

Patty Dowd Schmitz will begin work Tuesday as communications/events manager for the village.

Village Manager Jeff Lawler said Dowd Schmitz rose to the top among the dozens of applicants who sought the position because of her experience and ability to think quickly through the interview process.

"Part of the process was to quickly give them scenarios of things that might happen and ask them to develop a communication plan for us," Lawler said. "She did so with great thought and right along the lines of how we thought."

Dowd Schmitz brings 25 years of marketing, communications, and event planning experience to the job, including 16 years as a marketing and branding consultant for her own business, Three Peaks Marketing Group.

Dowd Schmitz will be responsible for coordinating all functions pertaining to communications, events, and marketing, including overseeing village events and fundraising.

The new role takes on responsibilities previously handled by several people at the village, including a part-time employee who worked in the economic development department. Peggy Blanchard, the head of that department, said last month that the part-time employee retired in June and village staff took six months to evaluate the village's communications and events to see what would be the best way to go forward.

Lawler said Dowd Schmitz will be paid a $90,000 salary.