Lombard's new village manager is homegrown

A familiar face in Lombard is stepping into a leading role.

Assistant Village Manager David Hulseberg is removing the word "assistant" from his title and taking over the top administrative job.

He'll replace current long-time village manager Bill Lichter, who retires June 1 after 23 years.

"Mr. Hulseberg has demonstrated vision and energy since joining the village," Village President Bill Mueller said in a statement from the board.

Hulseberg started with Lombard in 1997 as the director of community development, then added the title assistant village manager after his name in 2006.

"I think he'll do a very good job," Lichter said. "He's well respected and has a lot of experience. He knows the organization well, and is very strong in the community development area, which is something Lombard has been very involved with."

When Lichter announced his retirement last year, the village board hired a consultant to conduct a nationwide search. That produced a list of 40 applicants, which the consultant whittled down to 12. The village board then pared the list to five people.

Mueller said that after interviewing the candidates, each trustee selected their top two choices. Hulseberg appeared on every trustee's list.

"Cream rises to the top, and he came to the top," Mueller said.

Before joining the Lombard staff, Hulseberg worked with the villages of Mount Prospect and Arlington Heights, and the Town of Millbury, Mass. He has a master's degree in public administration and graduated from the Senior Executive Institute of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Policy at the University of Virginia.

"We went out there, we looked, and what we have here is the best," Mueller said.

Hulseberg's contract gives him a $155,000 annual salary plus use of a village car. Trustees also have the opportunity to award him a performance bonus, if they choose, after semi-annual job reviews.