Speakers

Join Caucus Committee Vice President Regina Etherton, for an inside look at the Lake Forest Caucus—who we are, what we do, and how we serve the community. She’ll cover our recruitment process for city boards and commissions, this year’s key initiatives, including new communication tools and a bylaws update, and how you can get involved in our fully volunteer-driven, community-supported organization.

Host: Mark Pickett

Pioneer Press article by Dan Dorfman
UPDATED: September 23, 2024 at 3:54 p.m.

John Burke now finds himself in an interesting position. He is a new face at the Lake Forest Police Department, but he is also the new leader.

“It’s a fresh start and new challenge to come in and get to know everybody and figure out the inner workings of the city and how to collaborate with different partners,” he said. “The job is the same but it has been a new challenge.”

Burke was sworn in as Lake Forest’s police chief at the September 3 City Council meeting, marking a new chapter in a law enforcement career stretching back nearly three decades.

Burke was hired in Barrington in August 1997 and then joined what is now the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Department after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. He moved out to San Diego to work on 9/11-related cases but returned to Barrington in 2004 for family reasons.

He rose through Barrington Police ranks culminating with being named chief in April, but that turned out to be a short run as he made the move to Lake Forest in September.

Now less than a month into his new job, Burke speaks of a mutually introductory phase with his Lake Forest officers.

“It’s different when you come in and you are the chief of police and you are also the new guy,” he said. “I’m meeting with all of my co-workers one on one. It is more of a conversation so I can get to know them and they can get to me. I can talk about my expectations and they can talk about their specialties and what they are looking for from the chief of police.”

Those introductions are not just within the corridors of the Deerpath Road headquarters. Burke said he had already met with Matthew Montgomery, the superintendent of both the city’s elementary schools as well as Lake Forest High School.

Then in terms of saying hello to the general public, the City set up a series of “Chat with the Chief”  engagement sessions at different city locations.

In terms of taking over police operations, Burke said he is now reviewing scheduling for officers and may make changes to the existing shift layout.

He is excited over the City Council’s recent $3.5 million purchase of the vacant 1925 Field Court building in Conway Park, to convert it into the city’s new police headquarters.

“To have larger classroom facilities where we can host classes in the future I think would be very important,” he said. “The building is located right off the (Tri-State Tollway) so we can be a training hub for other agencies to come in if we have an instructor to be a host site.”

Regarding new officer recruitment, Burke acknowledges it has been a rocky period for police throughout the nation.

“In the past five to eight years the profession has taken a beating through media and other high profile events that were wrong but by and large officers are really talented, caring hard working people,” Burke said. “It is a great job if you are willing to take a step and go down that path.”

He said finding officers for Lake Forest presents some unique challenges given its low crime rate.

“You have to find the right candidate. They have to know coming in here we are not the City of Chicago. We are not drowning in call volume but there are still expectations as far as service and how we treat people.”

He takes on the issues related to his new role, but there is a still personal side. Burke is married to his wife, Erica and the couple has two children. He likes to run with cooking, particularly grilling, one of his favorite activities.

“I just love cooking,” he said. “It’s a good distraction.”

As he starts this latest phase of his career, Burke reflected on why he wanted to work in law enforcement in the first place.

“I loved helping people,” he remembered. “It is about service for me. I liked the excitement when I was younger that every day was a little different. When you got to work you were not doing the same thing over and over again. You didn’t know what you were going to get.”

Host: Jason Wicha

Press Release from the City of Lake Forest / April 25, 2024

After a competitive nation-wide search, the City of Lake Forest is pleased to announce that Michael Wick has been selected as the new Director of Parks and Recreation.

Wick brings over eighteen years of experience in parks and recreation, serving in a variety of roles including Director of Recreation for the Gurnee Park District, Executive Director of the Wauwatosa Recreation Department, Athletics Coordinator at the Elk Grove Park District, and Recreation Specialist at the Waukegan Park District.

“A record number of new families have moved into Lake Forest in recent years, making it an exciting time for Lake Forest Parks and Recreation,” said City Manager Jason Wicha. “Mike’s background makes him uniquely qualified to lead the Department in shaping the future of recreational experiences for our exceptional community.”

At the Elk Grove Park District, he oversaw operations of 23-acre outdoor multi-use athletic field facility, experience that’s directly applicable to ensuring maximum utilization of the City’s new 9.5-acre athletic complex at Deerpath Community Park. In his most recent role as the Director of Recreation at the Gurnee Park District, Wick oversaw a $9.6 million dollar budget and provided oversight for sixteen full time staff and a part time staff that grew to over 350 during the summer months. He managed four community facilities including two fitness centers, a seasonal outdoor aquatic center, and community center. He also provided oversight for comprehensive community recreation programs.

As the Director of Parks and Recreation, Wick will oversee all City parks, trails, facilities, recreation programs, and partnerships. He will work closely with staff to program the new Deerpath Community Park and develop new and innovative programs and activities for Lake Forest residents. He will also serve as a staff liaison to the Parks and Recreation Board.

“It’s an honor to have the opportunity to serve as the next Director of Parks and Recreation Director at the City of Lake Forest,” said Wick. “I’m incredibly excited to begin working with the community and staff to build upon the department’s strong foundation.”

Wick has his bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sport Science from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse and is a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional from the National Recreation and Park Association.

Wick succeeds former Director of Parks and Recreation Sally Swarthout, who retired in January after a 30-year career with the City.

Host: Susan Simms

 

Carol Summerfield is the executive director of the History Center of Lake Forest Lake Bluff. Her background is in museum design and audience engagement. The History Center is a small midwestern institution with a staff of five. The museum produces two large special exhibitions each year that provide our audience with original narratives that help connect visitors with aspects of American history that are illuminated through local stories.

Host:  Thea Colwell

Students sponsored by the LF-LB Rotary Club that attended RYLA will talk about their experiences.

Host: Carol Buss