Volo names Mike May new administrator
Volo has a new village administrator, the town’s second since it incorporated in 1993.
Mike May, now an assistant to Grayslake Village Manager Mike Ellis, was named to the Volo post Tuesday. He’ll start Monday, Jan. 20.
May couldn’t be reached for comment.
Ken Buchardt had been Volo’s administrator until he retired about two years ago, Mayor Burnell Russell said.
Since then, Assistant Village Administrator Eric Tison has served as acting administrator.
May was awarded a five-year contract. He will earn $95,000 a year, Russell said.
A University of Notre Dame graduate, May has worked in Grayslake since 2005.
Russell praised May’s youth and his attitude.
“I’m kind of excited about it,” Russell said of the hire. “It’s a change that is going to make (Volo) better.”
Upon taking the reins in Volo, May will have several pressing projects on his desk. Among the biggest is the village’s ongoing effort to bring Lake Michigan drinking water to town.
May also will be asked to review the impact fees the village charges developers and to investigate pension fund options for employees, Russell said.
“I believe this young man can pull it together for us,” Russell said.
Grayslake’s Ellis praised May as a smart, dedicated employee. He credited May for his work on the recent Atkinson Road extension project.
“Once he’s working on something, he’ll do whatever it takes to get it done,” Ellis said.