Northbrook Park District names new executive director

Chris Leiner has been selected as the new executive director of the Northbrook Park District.

The park district's director of parks and properties for more than a year, he started as executive director Sept. 1.

Leiner, 39, of Gurnee succeeds Molly Hamer, who retired Sept. 8 after seven years as executive director in Northbrook.

"He is a driven, intelligent professional who truly knows our industry, and he's got strengths in a lot of areas," Hamer said. " ... I think he will lead the district very effectively."

Leiner was the district's director of parks and properties for 19 months before being tapped by the park district board to lead.

He previously worked for seven years as director of parks and planning for Glencoe Park District, where he was part of the team that earned a 2019 National Gold Medal for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management from the American Academy for Park and Recreation, in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association.

He previously spent two years as assistant director of parks and planning for the Des Plaines Park District, and six years as maintenance and operations supervisor for the Park District of Oak Park.

"The community is educated and conscientious, and its values align with my own," Leiner said about Northbrook.

Northbrook Park District Board President Lisa Chalem said Leiner has "led major projects for the district, brought in new funding sources, and helped remedy our staffing shortages."

As a student at Oak Park and River Forest High School, Leiner worked as a lifeguard, custodian, concessions worker and Zamboni driver.