New Wauconda village administrator has experience in several suburbs
A South suburban native has been hired as village administrator in Wauconda after a three-month search.
Allison Matson, who has worked in government administrative positions in Naperville, Downers Grove and Flossmoor, was chosen from among 34 candidates.
"After reviewing the resumes and speaking with the top tier of candidates, I'm confident that Allison is the right person to help steer Wauconda forward in the coming years and I, along with the (village) board look forward to working with her," said Mayor Jeff Sode.
"It was a very, very tough decision," he added.
Matson's first day is Wednesday. Her contract runs to April 30, 2025, with a base starting annual salary of $155,000.
The Matteson native started her career in 2005 as an administrative analyst and assistant to the fire chief in Naperville. She joined Downers Grove as a management analyst in 2010. She became assistant village manager in Flossmoor in 2016.
Flossmoor is similar in size to Wauconda, which has about 14,000 residents.
Matson says her career stops give her a breadth of experience in small and larger communities.
Long-range planning, economic and community development, and financial stability are among the goals going forward, according to Sode.
"We are in an excellent financial position and we want to keep it that way," he said.
Matson said she looks forward to working with village staff and officials on a vision for the future.
"It's exciting. I think I'm more of a strategic person. A long-term vision is a natural fit," she said.
Matson said a priority will be to "get to know everyone and everything and get to know the community better." There is no residency requirement but Matson said she and her husband plan to move to the Wauconda area.
She is taking the spot held for 3½ years by Kevin Timony, who started in July as village manager in Vernon Hills to replace Mark Fleischhauer, who retired.
Wauconda, as in Vernon Hills, hired GovHR USA, a Northbrook recruiting firm, to help find a replacement.
Fleischhauer, the longtime police chief in Vernon Hills, was hired as interim and then full-time village manager. In Wauconda, police Chief David Wermes has been doing double duty.
"When Kevin left, our chief of police, David Wermes, filled in and he did an outstanding job," Sode said.