Just four months after swearing in a new fire chief, Clarendon Hills officials will again be searching for someone to fill that position.
Village Manager Zach Creer said Monday that Michael Korzen had informed officials that he was resigning because of “family health” reasons.
Deputy Chief Dave Godek has been named as acting chief.
“While unfortunate, we wish Chief Korzen the best,” Creer said Monday afternoon. “We’ll be reviewing our options this week.”
Korzen, 50, was selected from a field of 28 candidates and sworn in as fire chief Aug. 19. He previously worked in Clarendon Hills as a part time firefighter/paramedic from 2004-2013.
He began his firefighting career in 1998 in Hillside, the town in which he grew up. He was a paid-on-call firefighter/EMT for the Hillside Fire Department. Following that, he served with several fire departments in the Chicago area, including 21 years with the West Chicago Fire Protection District and most recently as battalion chief with the Roselle Fire Department.
Korzen took over in August for Godek, who served as acting chief after longtime Chief Brian Leahy was forced to step down earlier this year, after the Village Board voted on Dec. 18, 2023, to approve a mandatory retirement age of 65. Leahy, who was 68 at the time, had been fire chief since 1985.
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
