Carpentersville trustee picked as next village manager

Carpentersville trustees on Tuesday are expected to appoint fellow board member John O'Sullivan as the next village manager.

O'Sullivan, 62, said he plans to resign as trustee before Tuesday's vote. First appointed to the village board in 2017, O'Sullivan is the longest-serving member of the current village board.

"He's part of the community and has been for a very long time," Village President John Skillman said Friday. "He knows what's going on in the village, and we're very excited to have him get started as soon as possible."

On Friday, the village issued a news release about O'Sullivan's pending appointment, noting that O'Sullivan has served as chair of the village's audit and finance commission and serves on the Northern Kane County Chamber of Commerce and is a past president of Carpentersville's Rotary Club.

If approved by the village board Tuesday, O'Sullivan's starting salary will be $155,000, Skillman said.

Carpentersville's previous village manager, Eric Johnson, resigned in December after being hired as the executive director of the Fox River Water Reclamation District, or FRWRD. Ben Mason, who heads the village's community development department, has served as interim village manager since December. He will serve as assistant village manager, Skillman said.

Though O'Sullivan does not have any experience as a village manager, he served as a business sales manager throughout his career. Most recently, he worked as a distribution sales manager for Otto Engineering for 13 years.

"I don't think business and government are the same, and I acknowledge that up front," O'Sullivan said. "But managing people is fairly similar, and people want to be treated fairly and with dignity."

He said he values transparency in government and looks forward to working with the village staff.

Skillman said he interviewed a few local candidates for the job before turning to O'Sullivan, who had not initially applied for the job.

"He understands the goals and objectives of the village," Skillman said. "That's why I thought it was the best fit."