Huntley honors longtime village worker

During her 20 years working for the village of Huntley, Rita McMahon has watched the village change from a small farming town to one of the fastest-growing communities in the Midwest.

Huntley's growth during the past two decades has changed the village government, too.

Twenty years ago, McMahon said, then-Mayor Jim Dhamer would stroll into the old village hall at 4 p.m. and ask, "What's going on?"

Two decades later, Huntley has its third village manager, a new municipal complex and almost 100 full-time employees.

McMahon has been with the village through all the changes, serving first as treasurer and a secretary before her appointment in 2003 as village clerk, a position she has held since.

Huntley officials honored McMahon for her 20 years of service this month.

McMahon, who doesn't usually attend village board meetings, was at last week's meeting to swear in two new police officers.

After she was done, Village Manager Carl Tomaso told her to stick around.

When she did, Mayor Chuck Sass declared May 1 Rita McMahon Day and gave her a framed copy of his proclamation.

Unlike many of Huntley's honorees, McMahon didn't know she was going to be recognized.

"I was surprised and thrilled," McMahon said this week. "It was an honor."

Tomaso paid McMahon the ultimate compliment this week, calling her the "real village manager."

"Rita is the glue. She is the hub of the operation. She keeps everything straight, everything moving forward," said Tomaso, who has served with McMahon for almost 11 years.

McMahon returned the compliment on Monday.

"They are just a great group of people to work with," she said of her co-workers. "That makes it easy to stay here."

As clerk, McMahon keeps the village's records in order and keeps track of new ordinances, liquor licenses and Freedom of Information Act requests -- among her many other duties.

If that sounds tedious, consider that McMahon's position has given her a front-row seat to watch the transformations the village has undergone in the last 20 years.

"It certainly hasn't been boring," McMahon said. "It's been very interesting."

Interesting enough to keep McMahon at village hall for the foreseeable future.

"I have no intentions of leaving," she said. "It's a wonderful job."