Hoffman Estates hiring River Forest official as town's new village manager
Hoffman Estates officials on Wednesday announced the hiring of Eric Palm as the town's next village manager, citing his broad experience in economic development, municipal finance, communications and leadership.
Palm, a Mount Prospect resident, will come to Hoffman Estates after serving for the past decade as village administrator of West suburban River Forest. Before that, he was the first full-time village administrator of Hampshire and an assistant to the city administrator in Des Plaines.
"We are excited to welcome Mr. Palm as the next village manager," Mayor Bill McLeod said Wednesday in the announcement of the hire. "His background in municipal government and his exceptional track record of successes as a village administrator for Village of River Forest and Village of Hampshire cemented our decision to hire him. We are confident Hoffman Estates will experience efficiency and growth under his leadership."
The Hoffman Estates village board is scheduled to formally appoint Palm on Dec. 7, and he's expected to start work in early 2021. When he begins, he will oversee a village staff of more than 400 full and part-time employees.
Palm replaces Jim Norris, who served in the post for 22 years and was the longest-serving manager in the village's 60-year history. Norris, who retired in August, helped steer the village through the development of the Prairie Stone Business Park - including construction of the publicly owned NOW Arena - and more recently the redevelopment of the former AT&T campus into the $200 million Bell Works "metroburb."
According to Hoffman Estates officials, Palm has a Master of Public Administration degree from Northern Illinois University and a Masters in Broadcast Journalism from Central Michigan University.
"I am honored and humbled to be appointed the next village manager for Hoffman Estates and am grateful for the trust and confidence the mayor and board of trustees have placed in me," Palm said in the hiring announcement. "I look forward to working in partnership with the village board, the outstanding staff, and members of the community."