The Village of Orland Park, a dynamic, progressive, growing community seeks a Recreation Director to provide leadership for the day-to-day operations of the Recreation Department. The incumbent Recreation Director is retiring with thirteen years of service as part of a village-wide early retirement incentive program. The Recreation Director is an integral member of the village’s executive leadership team and will oversee a system that includes a recreation program that regularly enrolls more than 22,000 children and adults annually, supports six (6) programmed facilities and many community wide special events including the Taste of Orland Park and various concerts.

The Community

Orland Park is a premier community located 30 miles southwest of Chicago’s Loop with a residential population of nearly 60,000 (full build-out expected to peak at 75,000), and is the commercial and retail hub of the Chicago south suburban region. Orland Park continues its wave of growth and prosperity from a historic, rural community to a dynamic corporate and commercial center.

Orland Park has a unique blend of residential and business communities in the midst of more than 700 acres of parks and open lands. In 2014, Orland Park was named one of Chicago Magazine’s “Best Places to Live.” Important factors for this recognition are its low crime rate, exceptional amenities and access to downtown Chicago.

The Village of Orland Park operates under the Council-Manager form of government, with legislative oversight provided by an elected Mayor and Board of Trustees. The corporate authorities include the Village President (Mayor), the Village Clerk and six (6) Village Trustees, each of whom is elected at-large to a four-year term.

The Village of Orland Park is a full service community employing approximately 275 full-time employees, approximately 650 part-time and seasonal employees combined. Departments include: Development Services, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Public Works, Mayor’s Office, Parks, Police, Public Information Office, Recreation, and the Village Manager’s Office.

The organization’s strategic plan goals include economic development, downtown development, quality of life, fostering an environment that focuses on customer service, continuous service delivery improvements, and efficiency enhancements.

The Village is a home rule community with a very stable financial standing. The Village of Orland Park has excellent bond ratings of AA+ from Standard and Poor’s and Aa1 from Moody’s. The Village’s current GO Debt to EAV ratio is 2.41% and the Village’s property tax levy remained flat for the past nine (9) years. This means that, in total, taxpayers will pay the same amount to the Village in 2019 as they did in 2012.

The overall expenditure budget is just over $156 million and the general fund budget is approximately $54 million. Additional information, including the Village’s annual budget documents, CAFRs and PAFRs, can be found on the Village’s website at www.orlandpark.org.

Key Responsibilities

The Recreation Director is appointed by and is directly accountable to the Village Manager. In collaboration with the Village Manager; Recreation Advisory, Civic Center, and Museum Boards; and the Mayor, and the Village Board, the Director is expected to develop short-term and long-term goals for village wide recreation programs and the department. This position is responsible for a $10.6 million budget for fiscal year 2020.

This position oversees the day-to-day management and administration of the department and is expected to stay on top of the recent developments and trends in the Recreation field and incorporates as appropriate. The Director of Recreation will prepare and administer departmental budgets, manage staff, and coordinate and track capital projects and improvements for the Recreation department. The department has 18 full-time staff, and approximately 280 regular part-time and 250 seasonal employees.

Recreation Department Overview

The Village is served by its own Recreation Department. The Department offers a comprehensive program for all ages that includes preschool activities, day camps, sports camps, dance, exercise, music, cultural arts, clubs, teen activities, senior activities and special recreation programs. The Recreation Department boasts a variety of facilities to house our numerous programs.

The Franklin Loebe Recreation Center includes classrooms, an indoor playground, indoor walking track, basketball/volleyball courts, wrestling and dance rooms.

The Sportsplex which opened March 2002 is a 90,000 square foot recreation center featuring a running track, sports performance area, free weights, a weight room and a youth-training area. The facility also includes 3 basketball/volleyball courts, indoor soccer center, gymnastics studio, 32 foot climbing wall, aerobic/dance studio and shuffleboard, indoor batting cages, women’s, men’s and family locker rooms, and child care services.

The state of the art Orland Park Health and Fitness Center was acquired by the village in 2016 and the Department oversees the contractual vendor who manages the day to day operation of the facility. The 78,000 sq. foot facility now boasts a robust membership base of over 3,900 members and was recently awarded by the Medical Fitness Association the 2019 MFA Certified Facility of the Year award. The Orland Park Civic Center, which is located in the heart of the Village corridor, offers 3 rental spaces, an Exhibition Room, the Grand Hall and the Jane Barnes Annex. The Civic Center offers affordable community rental opportunities that have provided numerous organizations, residents, community groups and businesses an affordable option for their events.

The recently dedicated History Museum provides residents a glimpse into the past by highlighting the history of Orland Park. The curator offers a series of exhibits, events and has recently received the 2019 Best Practice award from the Illinois Association of Museums; the award represents superior achievement in building site preservation. In addition the Orland Park museum also received an award on behalf of Stellwagon farm from Landmarks Illinois.

The Recreation Department is also responsible for scheduling the Village’s 500 plus acre park system, including Centennial Park Aquatic Center, Centennial Park, the John Humphrey Sports Complex, and the Grinding Edge Skate Park. The John Humphrey Sports Complex encompasses 20 acres of lighted softball and baseball fields, along with concession and restroom facilities.

Centennial Park is a 236 acre site which boasts ball fields and soccer fields that are used by local organizations. State, regional and national tournaments have been hosted at Orland Park’s Centennial Park. In addition, Centennial Park includes a marina, path system, ice rink and sled hill.

The 360,000 square-foot Centennial Park Aquatic Center (CPAC), named the best waterpark in the Chicagoland area by Chicago Magazine, is the area’s foremost water park facility featuring a lazy river, a body flume, a drop slide, tube slides, a platform jump, a zero depth pool with kiddie play structure and lap lanes. CPAC also boasts sand volleyball courts, an on-site concession area and an annual attendance of over 85,000 visitors.

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

The Village seeks a confident, proactive, open-minded and collaborative professional with several years of progressive experience managing a similar organization who will partner with existing staff to achieve our goals. As such, he/she will have the following:

A passion for excellence. The successful candidate will be someone who does not settle for the status quo and is always looking for ways to transform results from ordinary to extraordinary.

Excellent communication skills. The Recreation Director will present ideas, information, and concepts to elected officials, management, staff, and the community. As such, the successful candidate must be able to speak and write with excellence. He/she will be able to explain his or her vision for their department and the Village as a whole with both precision and clarity, while inspiring others.

Financial savvy. Orland Park is in a strong financial position because it manages its money wisely. The Village seeks a director who can distinguish between what is necessary and prudent, and what is not. In other words, the Village wants maximum yield on its investment, and the Village expects the successful candidate to manage the budget with diligence and care.

An assertive, team focused, and hands on professional with a strong ability to multitask will best serve as the next Recreation Director for the Village of Orland Park’s Recreation Department. The position requires a minimum of at least ten (10) years of related experience, preferably in a community of comparable complexity along with several years of progressive experience managing a Recreation Department or similar organization. A Bachelor’s degree in recreation and parks administration, public/business administration or related field is required. A Master’s degree in a related field is highly preferred. Certified Park and Recreation Professional certification designation is required, Certified Pool and Spa Operator is strongly preferred. Strong budgeting, fiscal management, solid judgment, supportive and motivating leadership style and partnership oriented attitude are additional qualities that will make for a successful Director in the Village of Orland Park.

Selected candidate will share a dedication and commitment to the Village of Orland Park’s employee values which include; integrity, communication, teamwork, professionalism and quality of life.

Compensation & Benefits The salary for this position is +/- $130,000 depending on qualifications. The Village of Orland Park offers a comprehensive employee benefits program which includes medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and an employee wellness program. Retirement benefits through the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) are provided along with the option to participate in a 457(b) plan with options through Nationwide, ICMA-RC, Mass Mutual, or AXA Advisors are also available. The Village of Orland Park also provides for paid vacation, personal, sick days, and holidays.

Apply at www.orlandpark.org/jobs

While residency is not a requirement, it is encouraged for Director level positions. Relocation assistance (up to $10,000) is negotiable for the hired candidate moving to incorporated Orland Park within six (6) months of hire.

The recruitment for this position will remain open until the position is filled, with first reviews scheduled to begin in mid to late February 2020.