Village Staffer Bowens Marks 20 Years

When Kevin Bowens came to Libertyville, he simply wanted to make this village better and more beautiful than when he arrived.

“That is the overall reason you get into this business. I feel strongly about that,” he said. "You get to do that and get to see that on a daily basis.”

As the second village administrator in Libertyville’s history, Bowens celebrates 20 years of working to keep the village running.

“I play a small part in trying to keep that group working together and working in the same direction,” Bowens said.

After earning his master’s degree in public administration at Northern Illinois University, Bowens worked with the villages of Hoffman Estates and Wheaton. He then came to Libertyville to replace Allen Schertz, who served 26 years at the village.

As village administrator, Bowens oversees the village’s day-to-day operations. That includes working with the police chief, fire chief, public works director and finance director.

“Those people are all professional, so I think my role is more a coach than anything else,” he said. “I don’t run those departments. I work with them to serve as liaison between them, the mayor and Village Board.”

Bowens has had the opportunity to oversee large projects, including building the downtown parking garage. However, there also are daily demands where residents seek help.

“You don’t know what is going to happen when you walk into the office,” he said.

Working With Village to Continue Growth

. He adds the most memorable aspect of his job is assembling the staff that works with him, adding those individuals are critical to providing service to residents. He also is quick to praise the elected officials, which has included four mayors and 30 board members.

“I don’t think we’ve had the political problems other communities have had,” he said. “We have dedicated elected officials who are doing it for the right reason. They really want to give back to the community.”

Village Trustee Donna Johnson said the partnership between Bowens and the board has been effective because Bowens shows professionalism, leadership and dedication.

“He is a good leader for the village,” she said.

The biggest challenge, Bowens said, continues to be providing a high level of service to residents especially as revenue decreases. He said sales tax revenue the last several years has dropped more than $2 billion.

Mayor Terry Weppler calls Bowens the heart of the village who not only makes sure the village functions properly, but also ensures that staff and department heads work together to address difficult economic times.

“Kevin has made recommendations that our board has followed to make sure we maintain a balanced budget,” Weppler said.

Advantages of Living in Libertyville

Raising his family in Libertyville since he began the job in 1991, Bowens said that being a resident allows him to observe what happens outside office hours. People often ask him, though, whether residents bombard him with questions. He responds no.

“While they want to know what is going on, they won’t bombard you at a grocery store with complaints. One of the reasons I like living here and working here is people are nice and enjoy living here,” he said.

Bowens looks to guide Libertyville forward, including working to address a growing number of capital improvement projects within the village.

“The most visible public improvement is the roads. People realize we‘re not able to keep up and repair the roads we need to each year,” Bowens said. “So how do you maintain it, realizing the village is going through difficult times, but residents and businesses are as well?”

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