Pingree Grove trustee Popilek resigns

Pingree Grove Village Trustee Ricky Popilek is resigning, citing new family responsibilities.

Popilek, 31, said he's leaving the board to concentrate on his growing family. His wife, Erica Popilek, is due to give birth to twins in July and the couple already has a 2-year-old son.

"I'm going to have three kids under three here pretty soon," Popilek said. "That's the main thing I need to have my focus on now."

Popilek made his decision official after Monday night's village board meeting when he turned over a brief resignation letter to Village President Wyman "Clint" Carey. His resignation was effective Tuesday morning.

Appointed to a vacant board seat in 2006, Popilek later won election for two more years in 2007. He was re-elected to a four-year term in 2009.

Popilek was Carey's right-hand man when it came to ongoing negotiations with Cambridge Homes over annexation agreements, the village president said.

He also was instrumental in making the village a more sustainable place to live. He plans to stay active on the village's downtown committee.

"He's been the consummate professional," Carey said of his good friend. "He's been caring and really concerned about Pingree Grove, and was an important advocate to downtown development and I'm really, really going to miss him."

Popilek, a certified accountant, also brought financial expertise to the board.

"That's his thing," Carey said. "His understanding of numbers was always helpful to everyone."

But Popilek has a more modest view of his time on the board.

"I'm not big on tooting my own horn," he said. "I enjoyed working together as a team and getting things done."

Carey plans to name Popilek's replacement at the May board meeting.