North Barrington village administrator returning to Lake in the Hills
North Barrington's village administrator has departed about four months after she was appointed to the post to rejoin the town where she used to work.
Shannon Andrews will return to Lake in the Hills as its assistant village administrator. Village Administrator Fred Mullard said Thursday that Andrews will start her new job Aug. 17.
North Barrington village board members on April 15 ratified Andrews' appointment to the top administrative job. Andrews, who received a three-year agreement subject to annual appointments, also was named village clerk, village collector and budget officer.
In September 2019, Andrews was named as North Barrington's interim village administrator and clerk. She replaced longtime North Barrington employee Kathy Nelander.
North Barrington Village President Eleanor Sweet McDonnell said the Lake in the Hills opportunity recently became available and it allows Andrews to "return to a community that she considers home."
"I will personally and professionally miss Shannon," Sweet McDonnell said. "She has been a great partner with me as we continue to pivot our village into a more positive direction financially and to better serve our residents."
Mullard said Andrews has great knowledge of Lake in the Hills and will be able to step into her old job quickly in the wake of so many recent senior-level departures from village hall.
"Having worked here before, she has a lot of knowledge of the players and the history of the village," Mullard said.
Lake in the Hills government became embroiled in controversy after text messages from the work phones of former village administrator Jennifer Clough, former public works director Dan Kaup and former finance director Shane Johnson became publicly known in July.
The messages from this year revealed the former staff members berated trustees and others, made jokes about the coronavirus and talked about playing drinking games during village board meetings, according to public records obtained by the Northwest Herald.
•Daily Herald staff writer Jerry Fitzpatrick contributed to this report.