Charles Meyer, the current assistant village manager in Lincolnwood, has been chosen as the new village administrator of Morton Grove.
The Morton Grove Village Board approved Village President Dan DiMaria’s appointment of Meyer at a special meeting on Wednesday, May 29. Meyer will formally take the job on July 1, the retirement date for current Village Administrator Ralph Czerwinski.
Czerwinski said Meyer was chosen from a pool of 29 applicants.
“He was well rounded,” Czerwinski said. “He is very intelligent. He communicated well. He would catch the flavor of the village of Morton Grove very easily.”
Meyer said he is “excited and grateful” for the opportunity to become the next village administrator.
“Morton Grove is a diverse and dynamic community, and I look forward to joining a fantastic team and organization,” he said.
Anne Marie Gaura remains village manager of Lincolnwood.
Meyer said he is fortunate to have learned and gained experience while working in Lincolnwood.
“I am thankful to the village manager, mayor and board of trustees of Lincolnwood for putting their trust in me for these many years to have helped me build the foundation needed to take the next step in my career as a village administrator,” he said.
Lincolnwood Village President Jesal Patel said he is sorry to see Meyer go.
“I’m happy for Chuck,” Patel said. “I have great memories of him as a member of the Lincolnwood family. He very early on came here. He is a wealth of knowledge, one of those jack-of-all-trades people who will be a great asset to have. He will be a great asset to Morton Grove. They’re lucky to have him.”
Meyer is a native of the area and knows regional issues and contacts, Czerwinski said.
“He makes for a nice transition,” he said. “If he did not have the wherewithal he has, we might have looked to someone else who might not have had these contacts. But he was the frontrunner in the process. He provides an opportunity for continuity that provides another added benefit.”
Meyer started in Lincolnwood as assistant to the village manager in December 2012. He served as acting finance director for six months in 2021 and was named assistant village manager in December 2018.
Meyer started his career as an administrative intern with the city of Highland Park in June 2008. He became a management analyst in May 2010 before taking a job with Lincolnwood.
Morton Grove hired MGT/GovHR to conduct an executive search to replace Czerwinski, who is retiring after 50 years of public service, including 11 as village administrator. The firm conducted evaluations, background checks, initial screening and interviewing of applicants.
“He was the number one candidate,” Czerwinski said.
The village wants Meyer to start before July 1 to help in the transition into the new job, Czerwinski said. That date is tentatively set for June 17, he said.
“We’re trying to be courteous of his time spent with Lincolnwood,” Czerwinski said. “He’d like to give them notice so they can separate appropriately. We’re also trying to set a date where we have a little overlap with me.”
Of the 29 applicants evaluated, four finalists were interviewed by a committee made up of Czerwinski, Trustee Janine Witko and four department directors, according to a report prepared for the Village Board.
DiMaria conducted his own interview of Meyer and accepted the committee’s recommendation, the report said. DiMaria offered the job to Meyer, who accepted it, pending board approval and a formal background check, it said.
If approved, Meyer will receive a base salary of $190,000 a year, an annual contribution to a deferred compensation account, a vehicle allowance, health insurance and the same pension benefits of other non-sworn full-time employees, the report said.
Patel said losing Meyer is part of Lincolnwood’s experience as a small community.
“People come here and move up,” he said. “I’m sure (current Village Manager) Anne Marie (Gaura) will be here a long time. If Chuck wanted to be a village manager, this is a good move for him. I’m sad to see him go, but I’m happy for him. Chuck deserves to be in a position like that, and we wish him the best.”
Lincolnwood will post an opening for Meyer’s position soon, Patel said.
“We like people to move up the ranks, but if the person comes from outside, that’s fine too,” he said. “I know there are a lot of good candidates out there. I look forward to the future and the next Chuck Meyer to work his way into our village.”
