Darien Position Not Advertised: City

DARIEN, IL – Darien recently hired a part-time business liaison without advertising the position, a top city official said Friday.

The city selected resident Lou Mallers for the newly created position.

Mallers serves as the chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission and a member of the Economic Development Committee, according to the city website.

In his new job, he makes $30 an hour without pension, health insurance or other benefits.

On Friday, Patch asked the city about Mallers' hiring. City Administrator Bryon Vana called it a "unique situation/opportunity."

Vana also forwarded Patch a response to a resident who was apparently concerned about the lack of a job posting.

In that message, Vana said he knew Mallers through his volunteer efforts with the city.

"Outside of this professional relationship, I do not spend time with Lou on a personal basis," Vana said in the email to the resident. "The only thing I recall ever doing with Lou, outside of City business, was buying a used George Foreman at his garage sale. I also paid full asking price without even haggling."

Mallers' LinkedIn page indicates he was most recently the vice president of sales development for Compass Mortgage, leaving in 2022. The page lists Mallers as "Retired/Maybe?"

In the email, Vana said he knew Mallers through his professional experience. But he said Mallers' volunteer work with the city made him an "easy choice."

"Serving on both city commissions gives Lou direct experience with what is important for this position," Vana said. "He has been active in dealing with our city zoning issues and participating in our economic development and business outreach efforts. Knowing Lou professionally all these years, I have been impressed with his friendly personality, group participation/leadership skills and his knowledge of the city."

Vana said he was elated when he learned that Mallers was interested in the part-time job. So Vana said he decided he would hire Mallers directly, without the time and expense of advertising or interviewing.

Hiring people, he said, was not a science.

"You don’t really know their personality, work habits, nor have observed them in action. With Lou, I knew all of those," Vana said. "Also important was that Lou could hit the ground running. It’s not often that the city hires employees without advertising. However, in this particular case, I made that decision for all the reasons above."

At a City Council meeting in November, officials said they wanted to hire the part-time liaison to retain existing businesses and recruit new ones. The liaison is also expected to speak with local businesses and find out their needs.