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New public safety director takes the helm at Lake County Forest Preserve District

The Lake County Forest Preserve District has a new director of public safety for the first time in more than 15 years.

Ron Davis, a 34-year law enforcement veteran, began his duties Monday. He succeeds John Tannahill, who retired as of Tuesday.

Tannahill started with the district in July 2007 as the chief of ranger police and became director of public safety about eight years ago when the district reorganized and the job title changed.

Ranger police headquarters originally was located in a farmhouse, which has been razed since, at Lakewood Forest Preserve in Wauconda.

Tannahill oversaw the department's move to a new Operations and Public Safety Facility in Lake Villa and is credited with modernizing the training program, equipment, technology, policies and procedures.

Education was considered an important part of Tannahill's leadership. The job description called for someone with an outgoing personality who is approachable to residents, visitors business and government leaders.

Davis was selected from among 63 applicants from 15 states after a national search through GovernmentHR, an outside recruiting firm.

In addition to a master's degree in criminal justice and various affiliations, Davis has advanced FBI leadership and management training and police chief certification from the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.

"It's a very strong organization with an excellent reputation in the local law enforcement community," he said of the forest preserve district. "I always wanted to be a chief and this is a unique opportunity."

Davis worked much of his career in Burbank, a southwest suburb, in various positions including patrol officer, field training officer, detective, a drug/homicide task force agent assigned to the DEA, sergeant, detective sergeant and lieutenant.

He said he was hired away from Burbank in 2016 as administrative commander for the Metra police department. He's spent the past 19 years in supervisory or command positions, according to the district.

The forest preserve force has 25 full-time and 21 part-time employees with a budget of $3.33 million. The beat consists of more than 31,000 acres encompassing a variety of preserves and uses scattered over dozens of sites throughout Lake County.

Davis said part of his new job is to be a 'brand ambassador' and public conduit.

"You're the face of the organization so it's important to get out and network," he said.

An avid biker and hiker, Davis said he plans to bike the nearly 200 miles of ridable trails in the forest preserve system in the first year. Countywide attitude and interest surveys continue to show residents feel safe in the preserves.

"Chief Tannahill, who led the organization for the past 15 years made this a priority," said Mike Tully, the district's chief operations officer. "Safety is always our number one concern."

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