Embattled Executive Director Steve Wilson to leave park district

Facing a lawsuit related to a former employee and following an internal investigation into his conduct, Wilmette Park District Executive Director Steve Wilson will resign at the end of January the district announced on Monday.

Wilson, who began with the park district in 2007, became its executive director in 2011. His contract was expiring this month (January 2025), and it is unclear if the Wilmette Park Board considered renewal.

Neither Wilson nor the Wilmette Park Board responded to multiple messages from The Record.

In a statement, the district said Wilson informed the Park Board of his pending resignation in December and sent a message to district staff on Monday, Jan. 6, saying he was planning a “new chapter.”

“As we begin the new year, I want to share that I have decided to start a new chapter of my professional career and will leave my position … effective January 31,” Wilson’s message reads. “This decision comes after extensive discussions and planning with the Board of Park Commissioners and with careful consideration with my family.”

The park district’s statement on Wilson’s resignation does not provide further details on his departure or on any conversations with the Park Board that led to it.

The park district provided Wilson’s letter of resignation to The Record. The letter also does not expand upon the reasoning for Wilson’s departure. In the letter, Wilson highlights projects and programs of which he is proud, expresses a commitment to a “smooth transition,” and thanks his family and park district staff.

“As I transition from this role, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the outstanding staff
members I have enjoyed working with,” the letter reads. “Their dedication and professionalism have made my tenure rewarding, and together we have fostered a strong sense of community. It is for this reason I am fully committed to a smooth transition and have been assisting the board in this planning.”

Wilson was the subject of an internal park district investigation in the fall of 2023 when the Park Board reviewed his hiring and promotional practices, among other things, according to a 2024 investigation from The Record.

At the time, Wilson was placed on a performance improvement plan, according to several sources aware of the investigation who spoke with The Record.

The Record’s investigation also revealed tension among the ranks within the park district. At least nine manager-level staffers left the organization between May 2023 and May 2024. In addition, the district’s administrative team of nine turned over two-thirds of its team since 2020.

At least part of what prompted the internal review were allegations from the district’s former Superintendent of Human Resources Liz Cox that Wilson was in an inappropriate relationship with and gave preferential treatment to a subordinate and that Wilson retaliated against Cox for investigating the relationship. Following Cox’s death in December 2023, the claims became the subject of a lawsuit against Wilson and the park district that was filed by her family.

The lawsuit remains unresolved in Cook County Circuit Court.

Park Board President Kara Kosloskus said in a statement that the district will prioritize hiring an interim executive director and has already begun the process of searching for a permanent replacement for Wilson.

“After receiving Steve’s resignation letter, the Park Board’s top priority is to hire an interim executive  director who will support Park District staff, oversee operations and ensure the continuity of quality services for our residents,” she said in the district’s press release.

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