Roselle parks director resigns

The Roselle Park District suddenly has another project on its hands less than a week after opening a new $5.1 million outdoor pool.

Park board President Patricia Burns announced Wednesday that the Roselle district's director, Tom Kruse, has resigned.

While Kruse stated in a letter to the park board that he would resign by the end of the month, parks officials said Kruse is no longer working for the district and will continue to be paid his $89,600 salary through the end of the month.

Heidi Lapin, the park district's superintendent of recreation, was appointed as acting director of the park district.

Parks officials gave no reason for the abrupt departure, which parks Commissioner Wayne Domke characterized as a "mutual parting of the ways."

"Quite frankly, he wanted to do some other things," Domke said. "All of our major projects are over. The timing is nice in that he didn't leave us high and dry. We've been through this before."

Kruse, a former Naperville Park District commissioner with decades of work experience in parks and recreation, was hired in November 2003 after a string of departures.

In January of that year, Diane McCray resigned to become director of the Streamwood Park District. Later that month, the park district hired a temporary park director who quit after less than a week on the job. The park board then hired a temporary director a few weeks later before settling on Kruse.

Parks officials credited Kruse for shepherding several projects during his four-year tenure, including new dog and skate parks and the new Kemmerling Park and Pool, which opened on Saturday.

The opening marked the first time since 2001 that the Roselle community had been able to swim at Kemmerling Park. The park had a pool from 1970 until 2001, when major structural damage forced the pool to close.

It took three tries before Roselle residents approved a $1.8 million tax increase in 2006 to help revamp the pool and park, which took two years.

"The water park was his coup de grace, I would say," Domke said.

Parks officials said they weren't aware of Kruse's future plans. Kruse couldn't be reached for comment.

Last year, Kruse sent a confidential e-mail to Naperville Park District commissioners expressing interest in being considered for the executive director position.

Kruse served one 6-year term as a Naperville commissioner, losing a bid for a second in April 2001.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, Kruse was employed as an executive director for the LaGrange Park District, the Clyde Park District in Cicero and the Belvidere Park District. He was employed by park districts in Mount Prospect, Arlington Heights, Hanover Park and Chicago in the 1970s.

Roselle Park District vice president Roberta Borrino said there is no concrete timetable set for filling Kruse's position.

"We've been busy opening a pool," Borrino said. "There are only so many hours in a day."