Pingree Grove hires recruiting firm for new manager

Pingree Grove isn't wasting any time finding a replacement for James Bassett, its recently departed village manager.

The town has hired the PAR Group, a Lake Bluff-based executive recruiting firm, to conduct a nationwide search for the next person who will help guide Pingree Grove through its bustling growth.

The process begins next week and could take anywhere from two to six months, Village President Clint Carey said.

Under the contract, the village pays the firm a flat fee of $15,500.

The village board also will reimburse the company up to $4,500 for search expenses, including postage, shipping, photocopying and phone services.

Additionally, the PAR Group charges $125 for background checks it performs on every finalist and $40 to conduct a LexisNexis search on every finalist.

"It is a lot of money, but it's the most important professional position in the village," Carey said. "We hired the best firm to hire the best candidate."

Officials must now develop a profile for the position that the firm will use to recruit candidates.

This person likely will start out making $90,000, not the $104,000 that Bassett received, Carey said.

Bassett and the village mutually parted ways last month, amid concerns that his 200-mile-a day commute from Bourbonnais was becoming an issue. His contract expires in May.

In the interim, Carey, Trustee Ricky Popilek, the village's attorneys, engineers, and finance director, are handling the town's day-to-day operations.

The PAR Group stood out among the three companies that approached the village due to its vast experience and knowledge of the northern Illinois market, Carey said.

The PAR group is no stranger to Pingree Grove.

The village recently paid it $20,000 to developing a study on how best to organize its new police department.