Longtime employee Matt Wehby tapped to lead Wheeling Park District

A longtime Wheeling Park District employee will be its next executive director.

The parks board on Tuesday agreed to hire Matt Wehby to lead the staff. Wehby now serves as deputy director.

Wehby will succeed veteran Executive Director Jan Buchs, who’s scheduled to retire May 29. Wehby steps into her shoes the following day.

“Matt’s experience and vision for parks and recreation make him an excellent fit for our community,” park board President Sue Stein said in a news release. “We are confident he will build on our strong foundation and continue to move the District forward.”

Wehby joined the district as athletic coordinator in 1999. He left in 2001 to manage special events for the Crystal Lake Park District but returned in 2004 as community relations manager. He subsequently served as community relations director and director of parks and recreation services, and he’s been deputy director since 2015.

Wehby now collects a $188,000 base annual salary. That’ll increase to $200,000 once his promotion is effective.

In his new role, Wehby will oversee a staff of more than 300 workers that swells to about 450 during the peak summer season. The district has an estimated $20 million budget and serves about 2.5 million guests through parks, facilities and programs annually.

“The Wheeling Park District is a great place to work because we are a mission-driven organization that is innovative, adaptive, inclusive, and a recognized leader in the field of parks and recreation,” Wehby said in an email. “Every day, we get to provide essential services that enhance and impact the community.”

This summer, however, the district will be without its centerpiece attraction.

The Family Aquatic Center on Community Boulevard is being demolished so a new one can be built on the same site. The roughly $32 million construction project should be completed in time for the 2027 season.

Buchs will depart the district after 33 years of service. She started as its first full-time aquatics manager and has been executive director since 2002.

Buchs cited the $18.5 million renovation of the Community Recreation Center, the renovation of the Chevy Chase Country Club and the $37 million improvement project at Heritage Park among the top projects of her tenure.

“I have witnessed firsthand the meaningful impact our work has on families, children, adults, and the entire community,” Buchs said in an email. “I am incredibly proud of all that we have accomplished together.”