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Vernon Hills said goodbye to Village Manager Mark Fleischhauer at the Village Board meeting Tuesday, marking his second retirement from the village.

Fleischhauer arrived in Vernon Hills in 2000 and was police chief for 17 years before taking on the interim village manager role in 2018.

Fleischhauer helped select his replacement, Kevin Timony, who was hired in May. Timony, who grew up in the area, previously was the Wauconda village manager.

At the meeting Tuesday, Fleischhauer thanked the village staff and trustees for their help during his three-year tenure. Trustee Tim Koch read a proclamation that highlighted some of what Fleischhauer achieved while at the village.

“It’s been an honor and privilege to serve as the village manager for … Vernon Hills,” Fleischhauer said. “There’s too many people to mention, but I want to make sure that I thank all of them for supporting me and making my temporary return to the village as smooth as possible.”

Fleischhauer’s return to the village in 2018 came at a time of significant turnover in the village, which included the departures of then-Village Manager John Kalmar, the village attorney and resignations in the finance department.

As a result, Fleischhauer was contracted in a temporary capacity for six months, after which the village approved an agreement to keep him for at least two more years. In total, Fleischhauer’s tenure lasted just over three years.

“Mark sort of stepped in during a time here where there was a lot of controversy with the village manager,” Trustee Craig Takaoka said at the board meeting. “But I’ll tell you what, this company couldn’t have run any better.”

Kevin Timony, right, was appointed village manager of Vernon Hills in May 2021 and was sworn in at the July 6 Village Board meeting. He is replacing Mark Fleischhauer, left, who is retiring.
Kevin Timony, right, was appointed village manager of Vernon Hills in May 2021 and was sworn in at the July 6 Village Board meeting. He is replacing Mark Fleischhauer, left, who is retiring.

While serving as village manager, Fleischhauer was involved with helping establish the Hawthorn tax increment financing district to create funding for Hawthorn 2.0, and guided the village through the novel coronavirus pandemic. He also helped bring in Lauterbach & Amen LLP, an accounting firm that manages the village’s finances in the wake of the finance department resignations.

Before taking on the role of Vernon Hills chief of police, Fleischhauer worked at the Palatine Police Department for more than two decades. He then was Vernon Hills police chief until 2017, where he retired from the role. But after only a few weeks out of work, Fleischhauer was tapped to serve as the interim police chief for Highland Park in 2017.

After administering the oath to Timony, Fleischhauer spoke about the hiring process, which involved 76 applicants.

“I think he’s going to fit here in Vernon Hills extremely well,” Fleischhauer said.

Timony said he was excited to get started. He said his first priority coming in is to get up to speed on the development projects taking place in town, particularly Hawthorn 2.0. Timony grew up in the central Lake County area and attended Vernon Hills High School — as part of its first graduating class.

Before serving as Wauconda village administrator in 2017, Timony worked in Grayslake, starting as a management assistant and eventually becoming village manager.

“Vernon Hills is a wonderful community that is near and dear to me and my family,” he told Pioneer Press. “I am fortunate to be joining such an excellent team.”

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