Heide chosen for Naperville park board seat
Gerry Heide was selected Thursday to serve as the newest member of the Naperville Park District board.
Heide, 44, was chosen by park board members from among three finalists to fill the unexpired term of Charlie Brown, who resigned in June. That term will expire next spring.
Board President Suzanne Hart said Heide's selection was unanimous following Thursday's public interviews that also featured finalists Mike Reilly and Kirsten Young.
"He really did his homework," Hart said. "He has been following the board, and we liked his experience."
Heide will be sworn in during a special board meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
"We liked what (Heide) can contribute to the board moving forward," Commissioner Kristen Jungles said.
Heide ran unsuccessfully for the board last year. He has lived in Naperville since 1971. He pledged Thursday to run for a full four-year term in April.
"I've still got all those signs in my basement, and you can only make so many yard sale signs with them, so, yes, I would (run again)," he told the board.
Heide has a graduate degree in business, works in sales and marketing and owns several businesses.
He said he believes he can look at park district issues objectively.
"I believe we need to assess where we're at and where we want to be in five, 10, 15, 20 years and develop a road map to get there so that we're good stewards for the future generations of Napervillians," he said. "And good judgment comes from having the ability to look at issues through the eyes of your constituents."
Heide also said the hiring of a new executive director will be a top priority.
"Having an executive director is critical," he said during his interview.
Hart said she was thrilled by the excitement and passion displayed by each of the three finalists.
"Each of them was passionate and has demonstrated how much they care about the park district, and that was awesome to see," Hart said after the interviews. "I hope they all try again because each of them would be valuable to us."