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player ready...Jerry Ulrich is a Northbrook resident and the superintendent of parks and planning at the Wilmette Park District, taking over the reins this fall from predecessor Bill Lambrecht. Ulrich, 57, spoke to Pioneer Press Dec. 13.
Q: Tell us about yourself.
A: I’ve lived in Northbrook all my life. I went to school at Glenbrook North. I’ve been married 28 years and I have two sons, ages 12 and 17.
Q: What brought you to the park district?
A: My dad was a Chicago fireman, but his side job was carpentry. I grew up learning the trade. When I was at Glenbrook North there was a building trades class, and we actually built a house in Northbrook. After graduation, I had several jobs before I was hired as a carpenter with the park district in 1987 … the last two years, I’ve been assistant superintendent of parks and planning.
Q: What do you do in your new position?
A: I oversee maintenance of the outside park properties, and also of each district facility. We usually have about 11 people who work year-round. In the summer we have seasonal employees, and we have some part-time employees who work almost all year.
Q: What jobs are on your “to-do” list now?
A: One of the biggest things is snow removal preparation, because snow is unpredictable. It always seems to come at night or on the weekend. We also prepare our three outdoor rinks, at Thornwood, Gillson, and Mallinckrodt parks. Those rinks have been spotty in recent years because climate change has made winters warmer.
Q: What do you like doing in your off hours?
A: Until I had children, I played competitive 16-inch softball. Now I spend time with my boys. I’ve coached their baseball teams, and I was a hockey dad. I still do carpentry. I bought a house that I completely remodeled, and then we bought another, demolished it and built a new house. My wife has never had to call a repairman.
Q: It’s the holiday season. Do you have a favorite holiday food?
A: Candy canes. I wouldn’t think of eating one in July, but when we put up the tree, and my wife puts candy canes on it, they don’t last very long!
– Kathy Routliffe, Pioneer Press
Twitter: @pioneer_kathy
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