Wilmette Village Manager Announces Retirement

WILMETTE, IL - Longtime Wilmette Village Manager Tim Frenzer will retire in early 2020 after 27 years of service to the Village of Wilmette, according to village officials.

Frenzer joined the Village of Wilmette as its corporation counsel in Jan. 1993 and served in that role for 15 years until he assumed the role of interim village Mmanager. The village board unanimously appointed Frenzer to village manager in July 2009.

“Over the years, I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with many elected officials, as well as boards and commissions members, and residents,” Frenzer said. “The commitment of the Village Board members to ensuring good government and providing forward-looking leadership has ensured that Wilmette is a very special place in which to live and work.”

Frenzer also thanked the members of the Village staff, saying that, “It has been my privilege to work with, and my honor to lead, an incredibly talented and highly committed Village staff. Their professionalism, dedication and expertise leaves me filled with pride in them and humbled to have had the opportunity to work as their manager for the last ten years.”

When Frenzer took over as manager, the village was experiencing serious revenue disruption due to the Great Recession. Frenzer and his team worked to stabilize the village’s finances and reduce costs while maintaining the village’s coveted AAA bond rating and village services.

According to the village, Frenzer led many projects that will have long-lasting positive benefits to the Wilmette community, including preparation of a Village Center Master Plan and revitalization of the village’s downtown, modernizing solid waste and recycling collection, infrastructure projects, such as the successful West Park Sanitary Storage Facility project, and many new resident services, including online services and resident request tracking.

Frenzer also negotiated several new wholesale water contracts with other municipalities that generate new revenue hold down water rates for Wilmette. He said he looks forward to having additional time to spend with his family, and to explore other professional opportunities.

“Tim took over as Village Manager during very challenging economic times,” said Village President Bob Bielinski. “His steady and thoughtful leadership stabilized and then improved the Village’s finances, and has contributed to new economic development and improved resident services. The Village is fortunate to have an incredibly professional and qualified staff, which is a testament to Tim’s leadership and his ability to attract and retain top talent. The Village Board and I are all grateful to Tim for his dedicated service to the Village and wish him all the best in retirement.”

The board has initiated the process of naming a successor