THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS

COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Voorhees Associates is pleased to announce the recruitment and selection of the next Community and Economic Development Director for the Village of Oak Park, Illinois. This brochure provides background information on the Village as well as the requirements for the Director. Additional information about Oak Park can be found on the Villages website: www.oak-park.us. The salary for this position is $135,000+/- DOQ. Residency is not required by the Village. Candidates interested in applying for the position should submit their rsum and cover letter, along with contact information for five workrelated references by October 11, 2013, at www.VoorheesAssociates.com/current-positions. Tel: 847-580-4246. Equal Opportunity Employer. 500 Lake Cook Road, Suite 350 Deerfield, Illinois 60015 TEL: 847-580-4246 FAX: 866-401-3100 Formal applications should be submitted to: www.VoorheesAssociates.com/current-positions

Heidi J. Voorhees, President

PROFESSIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Oak Park, Illinois (population 53,000). Exciting opportunity in a progressive, independent suburban community located nine miles west of downtown Chicago. Oak Park is a fully developed, 4.5 square mile, mature, historically significant, multi-cultural community. The Director of Community and Economic Development reports to the Village Manager and is responsible for the leadership of the Villages economic development and community development programs. The Community and Economic Development department is a newly-created department comprised of 34 full-time positions in four divisions: Planning, Building and Property Standards, Housing, and Business Services. Further information about the Village is available on their web site at www.oak-park.us. Bachelors degree in urban planning, public policy, business administration or related discipline required along with extensive progressively responsible management experience. AICP, IEDC certification and/or Masters Degree desirable. Exceptional interpersonal skills, demonstrable success in economic development and effective leadership of planning and community development programs essential. Starting salary is $135,000+/- DOQ. The Village provides an excellent benefit package. Residency is not required. Additional position information is available at www.voorheesassociates.com. Submit rsum, cover letter with salary history and five references to our online application system to Heidi Voorhees, President, Voorhees Associates LLC, www.VoorheesAssociates.com/ current-positions. The first review of rsums will begin October 11, 2013. TEL: 847/580-4246; An Equal Opportunity Employer.

VILLAGE OF OAK PARK COMMUNITY BACKGROUND

Oak Park is an inner-ring, independent suburban community located nine miles west of downtown Chicago. It is a fully developed, four-square mile, mature, multi-cultural community of 53,000 that offers a distinctive urban/suburban lifestyle in a pleasant setting of tree-lined streets and well-kept homes that present interesting variety in style and price. Housing in Oak Park is heterogeneous with a variety of single- and multi-family homes. Oak Park is a residential community of choice, centrally located in the Chicago metropolitan area, connected by modern commuter rail and auto transportation routes throughout the region and convenient to local and regional high quality retail, arts, and cultural attractions. Oak Park is bounded on the east and north by the City of Chicago, on the west by River Forest and Forest Park, and on the south by Cicero and Berwyn. The people of Oak Park have a strong sense of community. A key ingredient in the quality of life in Oak Park is the diversity of the residents including a broad representation of various occupations, professions, lifestyles, age and income levels, and a stimulating mixture of racial, religious, and ethnic groups. Such diversity and integration is Oak Parks strength. The community also has proud traditions of citizen involvement and accessible units of local government and school system, giving Oak Park citizens a unique opportunity to participate in activities affecting their lives, families, and way of life. Ernest Hemingway grew up in Oak Park, Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote his Tarzan books there, and Frank Lloyd Wright built his home and studio there. The latter is a national landmark and a mecca for architects, students, and tourists from all parts of the globe. In addition to the home and studio, Oak Park has the largest collection of Wrightdesigned homes of any community in the world, and Wrights famed Unity Temple. Oak Park houses many architecturally significant structures from the Prairie School, stately Victorians, and imposing apartment buildings, including architect George W. Mahers Pleasant Home, which is also a national landmark and is owned by the Park District of Oak Park.

COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

The Director is appointed by the Village Manager. The Director plans, directs and coordinates the activities of the Community and Economic Development Department and serves as an advisor to the Village Manager and other Village management on all community and economic development matters. The FY2013 General Fund budget for the Community and Economic Development Department is $4.6 million. The Department is divided into four Divisions. The employees in these divisions are a mixture of union and nonunion employees. The Building and Property Standards division conducts plan review, permit processing, and

VILLAGE OF OAK PARK

inspections. This division is responsible for maintaining neighborhood character as well. The Planning Division includes responsibility for historic preservation and zoning and planning. The Village is currently updating the comprehensive plan with the assistance of an outside planning firm. The Housing Division is responsible for administering federal and other community development programs including CDBG funds and Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds. Oak Park is an entitlement community under federal guidelines and as such, directly administers CDBG funds. This Division partners with numerous local housing agencies including the Oak Park Housing Authority, the Oak Park Residents Corporation and the Oak Park Regional Housing Center as well as takes a leadership role in the West Cook County Housing Collaborative, which has raised $14 million for affordable housing. The Business Services Division currently has one staff person assigned to it who serves as a business ombudsman.

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

The next Community and Economic Development Director for the Village of Oak Park can expect to be involved in the following: The Village is seeking a Director with strong economic development skills who can partner with the business community and determine the best structure for Oak Park to be a leader in economic development. The Oak Park Development Corporation has a one-year service contract from the Villages FY 13 budget for $300,000 to assist with this effort. Over the past few years, the Oak Park Community and Economic Development Department was divided into separate Divisions, each reporting to the Village Manager. The current Village Manager, appointed in January 2013, has unified the Divisions under one department, as it was several years ago. The next Director can expect to work with the Village Managers office on finalizing the organizational structure and unifying the department under a common mission. Like many communities, Oak Park is working hard to ensure that its development review process, inspections, and construction permitting process are business friendly while maintaining their regulatory function. The next Director can be expected to work closely with the Building and Property Standards Division to ensure the Villages permitting and inspection process fulfills this goal.

COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR QUALIFICATION CRITERIA

The Village of Oak Park is seeking proven and progressive candidates committed to excellence in the field of economic and community development. The following factors of education, experience, and demeanor have been identified as necessary and/ or desirable for the Community and Economic Development Director to succeed in this position. The salary range for the position is $135,000+/- DOQ with excellent benefits.

VILLAGE OF OAK PARK

Education and Experience
A bachelors degree in urban planning, public policy, business administration or related field from an accredited college or university is required; a graduate degree in planning, public administration or business, and/or AICP/IEDC certification is strongly preferred. Have proven executive-level management experience with progressively responsible experience in the strategic leadership and management of a Community and Economic Development operation in a full-service urban/suburban municipality of similar size and complexity to the Village of Oak Park. Have demonstrated experience and success in economic development with the ability to harness the community and organizations resources to market Oak Park and recruit and retain business to the Village. Understand how to leverage economic development incentives, utilize appropriately creative funding mechanisms and other federal, state and county programs to further a sustainable economic engine for the Village of Oak Park. Have a positive record of team building with other departments as well as within Community and Economic Development, including a reputation for dealing fairly and effectively with all employees. Have a commitment to and fully embrace racial, cultural, economic, and religious diversity with a proven record of recruiting and selecting a diverse workforce. Have the ability to effectively utilize technology to serve internal and external customers and improve all customer services. Have experience leading a large, sophisticated organization in an urbanized environment and doing so diplomatically, effectively managing stressful situations, and projecting a demeanor of calm leadership. Have experience in external organizational relations and the ability to interact with neighborhood organizations and other stakeholders in a constructive, cooperative and supportive manner while effectively representing the Villages interests. Have experience serving as a liaison to the business community, promoting business development programs through personal contacts with existing and potential businesses, property owners, real estate developers and Oak Parks business associations. Have thorough knowledge of the principles of modern personnel management, including experience with recruiting, training, promoting, disciplining, and terminating employees within a union environment; be comfortable with and experienced in coaching and counseling both union and non-union employees. Possess demonstrated excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability and willingness to communicate openly and transparently with the Village Manager, elected officials, employees, and community.

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Management Style/Personal Traits
Have complete personal and professional integrity, inspiring the confidence of appointed and elected officials, subordinates, and the general public. Project a genuinely friendly, approachable style that encourages collaboration and the development of effective working relationships. Have proven and successful managerial skills utilizing a consensus-building, team-oriented approach to managing staff members. Have ability to remain accountable for departmental activities without unnecessary micromanagement of staff. Have the maturity and self-confidence to firmly and diplomatically present professional views, concerns, and implications of proposed policy actions that may be under consideration by the Village Board of Trustees, while also being committed to carrying out final decisions in a timely, professional, and impartial manner. Exhibit a style characterized by candor, directness, tactfulness, and diplomacy, with the ability to admit when mistakes were made, and when corrective action needs to be taken. Demonstrate commitment to encouraging creativity, responsibility and accountability in an environment that values a collaborative approach and embraces a setting where employees feel valued. Demonstrate genuine concern about the well-being of employees and involvement of staff members. Demonstrate a flexible, adaptable and facilitative style with the ability to function effectively in a dynamic, demanding, team-oriented, professional environment marked by extremely high expectation levels. Maintain a calm demeanor during times of stress, providing thoughtful advice to employees, supervisors, department heads, Village Manager, and the Board of Trustees. Successfully model the leadership philosophy and core values of the organization. Demonstrate commitment to the regular pursuit of professional and self-development opportunities. Be easily accessible and approachable to all including senior staff, employees, and any other stakeholders. Be a good listener. Demonstrate a sense of humor when appropriate.

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