Fox Valley parks director stepping down at end of year
After 40 years in the parks and rec business, Steve Messerli has decided it's time to enjoy some of the many sites and facilities he's overseen and helped develop.
The Fox Valley Park District director will step down at year's end, wrapping up a nearly six-year reign since he replaced Bob Vaughan in April 2005. After moving to Illinois from California in 1991, Messerli served 13 years as executive director of the Lake County Forest Preserve District.
"You know, when it's time, it's time. And I've decided it's time for me to start enjoying so many of these great parks that I've seen so many of our residents enjoy," he said. "It's one thing to enjoy them from my position of overseeing them but it's a whole other world to enjoy them leisurely."
Messerli said he has no immediate plans, because his wife Denise, a speech pathologist in West Aurora School District 129, has a year left on her contract. So he'll be available to mentor the next director, chosen as part of a recently launched national search.
"I want to travel a little bit. I'd like to lose about 10 pounds and who knows what else comes down the horizon," he said. "My parents are also both cancer survivors and in their 80s, so I'd like to get some quality time in with them as well."
As a lifelong golfer who used to play 18 holes for 75 cents in his youth in Arizona, he also plans on sharpening his game.
"I'd love to play golf in Ireland and Scotland, especially after seeing the (British) Open over there so I've got a bit of a bucket list of things I'd like to do," he said. "I'd also love to get to Alaska and see the Kobuk Valley National Park and some of the other national parks that I haven't been to."
He may also wind up in the volunteer sector.
"In terms of public service, I've worked for a lot of government entities at the local level and I think if I did do something it would be volunteer or not for profit or something along those lines," he said. "It would be something that would be of intrinsic value and self-rewarding and giving back to the community."
Messerli says he's proud of several accomplishments during his career in Fox Valley, including the 2008 tax increase that gave the park district about $44 million to construct new parks, trails and fields. Just about half of that money has been spent and the latest fruits will be unveiled this fall when New Haven Community Park on New Haven Avenue, opens to the public.
The pinnacle, he said, was last year when the district won the national gold medal award for excellence from the National Recreation and Park Association.
"It's also a good way to go out. I feel like I'm going out on top with all of these accomplishments," he said. "It's been a privilege to be the steward of this system here for almost six years and I know it will continue to succeed."