‘It has been a great ride’: Longtime Des Plaines parks leader to retire

Veteran Des Plaines Park District Executive Director Don Miletic will step down next year, officials announced.

“It has been a great ride, but its time to do some of the things I want to do that I have not been able to, like travel and hiking,” Miletic told the Daily Herald.

A Chicago native who lives in Arlington Heights, Miletic has led the park district staff since 2014. His tenure with the organization began in 2001, however, after time with the Park Ridge and Arlington Heights park districts and five years in the private sector as an IT consultant.

Miletic joined the Des Plaines Park District as finance superintendent. Over time, he was promoted to superintendent of business and golf operations, to assistant executive director and ultimately to executive director when John Hecker retired.

The district has seen numerous public improvements during Miletic’s time as boss, including the construction of the Prairie Lakes Aquatic Center; the addition of a splash pad at Lake Park; the construction of a swimming pool at Arndt Park; and the conversion of Good Shepherd Church into both park district activity space and the popular Foxtail on the Lake restaurant.

In a statement on the district’s website, the parks board praised Miletic’s “outstanding leadership and dedicated service.”

Miletic intends June 4, 2027, to be his last day on the job.

Once his office is packed up, Miletic will spend six weeks visiting family in Croatia. Beyond that, he expects home-improvement projects, property management and consulting will occupy his time.

While his departure is nearly a year away, the parks board will begin searching for Miletic’s successor immediately, officials said.