A troubled history in Naperville Park District
Naperville Park District's struggles with keeping an executive director go back more than a decade to when Glen Ekey announced his retirement plans after 15 years on the job.
January 1996: Ekey gives the park board a year's notice that he plans to take early retirement.
August 1996: After a nationwide search that involved 75 candidates, park board settles on Joe Schultz, who had been working on the West Coast but spent time heading the Westmont and Deerfield park districts.
March 2000: Schultz resigns with no warning or public explanation after the board rejects his request for a raise and three-year contract. He takes a parks job in California.
March 2000: Ken Brissa named interim director.
August 2000: Brissa becomes permanent director after the board conducts a national search.
November 2003: Naperville police launch probe into "questionable administrative practices" at the district, and Brissa is the focus.
January 2004: Police probe becomes public; DuPage state's attorney's office becomes involved.
February 2004: Director of Development Judie Caribeaux steps down.
February 2004: Park board puts Brissa on paid administrative leave without explanation. Caribeaux returns as acting director.
April 2004: State's attorney's office finds no criminal wrongdoing, but questions district's spending and administrative practices.
May 2004: Board announces Brissa will step down as part of a settlement that will pay him $100,000.
September 2004: Board hires Bill Young, a retired park district chief of police, to serve as its second interim director after Caribeaux announces she's taking a job with a nonprofit group in Geneva.
October 2004: Park board hires Barbara Heller as new director after nationwide search; she assumes her duties in November.
March 2007: Under fire for her handling of plans to build a new recreation center, Heller resigns to take job in the private sector.
May 2007: Business Services Director Mindy Munn, who had been serving as acting parks chief, is named interim director until a permanent boss is chosen.
February 2008: Park board chooses Daniel Betts of Denver as its top choice for executive director.
July 2008: Betts takes a leave of absence from his executive director position. refuses to comment on reason why.