Residents expressed shock and surprise to hear that Morton Grove Park District Director Tracey Anderson, who started in May 2013, is no longer with the district, as of late January.
At least one also expressed concern about the district’s decision to withdraw funding for Morton Grove Days fireworks, and questioned how the district is going to repay the $7.2 million in revenue bonds it issued for the rebuilding of the Oriole Park Aquatic Center, which opened last summer.
The park district also approved a separation agreement for Anderson at its Feb. 9 committee of the whole meeting, There was no discussion, and the board did not disclose the contents of the agreement, which was dated Jan. 26.
People with close connections to the park board did not see Anderson’s departure coming.
“When I was on the park board, I liked her a lot and thought she was doing a great job, so this was a shock to me as well,” said Kevin Lochner, a former park district commissioner who left in early 2014 because his career demanded more of his time.
“Unless she found a different job somewhere,” he ventured.
A former park district employee also wondered about the goings-on.
“I had the utmost respect for Tracey and the board members. They’re working toward common goals, but I don’t know why the politics has to be so difficult,” said Mary Busch, who served as director of the Morton Grove History Museum until taking a new job a few months ago.
“I was trying to do my job and move things forward, but with every new administrator, it was like starting from scratch. There was no continuity. Overall, working there was a great experience, but the changing of the guard so frequently wasn’t good for anyone.”
And a longtime former park commissioner criticized the turnover.
“I think it’s poor leadership on the board’s part that they keep going through key people. Either their skill in hiring or the demands they’re putting on them isn’t working,” said Dan Staackman, who served as a park commissioner from 1987-2003, village trustee from 2003-2009 and mayor from 2009-2013. He is running again for park commissioner in the April election.
The park district has had five directors in the past six years, Staackmann said: Jeff Fougerousse, another director who served less than a month, Brian Sullivan (who left abruptly after about 2 years), Interim Director Rich Grodsky and Anderson, who served one year and eight months.
Staackmann said he read in park board minutes that the district had spent $26,000 to recruit Anderson.
He also noted that Superintendent of Recreation Kelly Smith, Finance Director Les Pruess, and a receptionist had left abruptly in recent months after working at the district for a long time.
Staackmann also criticized the district for spending $61,000 to commission a comprehensive plan, which theoretically gathers stakeholders’ input to guide the future direction of the district, but not waiting for its completion before voting to spend $7.2 million on rebuilding the Oriole Park pool. He noted the district is going to struggle to repay $400,000 annually on the bonds when the district is not taking in anywhere near that in revenue.
Mark Manno, a former park district employee who is running for a seat on the park board in the April election, said he, too, was shocked to hear of Anderson’s departure.
“I’m concerned what direction this board has been taking the park district in the past several years,” said Manno, who worked as a facilities foreman for the district up until last year, but declined to say why he left.
“It was very destructive and disheartening for employees and for patrons, actually. You didn’t know the next step or who was in charge.”
Manno said he was comfortable with Anderson’s attempts to try new programming to serve district residents. He said many of them didn’t cost extra, and were well-received by residents.
More Top Picks Best Pillows For Degenerative Disc Disease
Park Commissioner Dan Ashta declined to comment on Anderson’s departure, saying the district’s policy is to respect individuals’ privacy.
“By my count, the Morton Grove Park District has had four executive directors since 2001, not including interim directors, such as Mr. O’Brien [the current finance director],” he said.
“I don’t think this is a remarkable figure. Regarding other positions at the district: similarly, we have had staff members in various positions remain with the district for many years, while others have been on the team for shorter durations.”
He said the task in front of the board was to determine its priorities in hiring a new director.
Commissioner Eileen Coursey did not return a phone call seeking comment prior to deadline.
Pam DeFiglio is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Correction: An earlier version of this story contained a factual error. This update was posted at 8:35 a.m. on Feb. 11.