Kenilworth Park District director to move on

Johnathan Kiwala may leave the Kenilworth Park District, but the Kenilworth Park District won’t leave Kiwala.

After 10 years at the helm, the executive director is moving on from the district, which Kiwala said will “always be a part of me” and is an organization Kiwala “poured my heart and soul into.”

Kiwala’s final day is April 25. He will then become the deputy executive director of the Glenview Park District. In the meantime, Kiwala said he will assist the search for and facilitate the hiring of his replacement with the Kenilworth Park District.

“The goal is for the board and me to get someone in before I leave,” Kiwala told The Record. “I am attached to everything here and want to make sure the park district is left in the absolute best spot it can be. I have very, very deep ties here and care a lot about this park district.”

Kiwala became a public employee in Kenilworth 12 years ago, starting as a management analyst for the Village before taking on the leadership role with the park district in 2014.

Park Board President John Hart said the district is “very sad” to see Kiwala leave and his contributions made the district more “vibrant” and “inclusive.”

In Kiwala’s time with the park district, the organization grew exponentially. It increased its revenue by 300%, the district shared in a release, and programs — such as summer camps, holiday events, Food Truck Mondays and UpNext concerts — were added by the handfuls.

The district also completed significant capital improvement projects, such as the overhaul of Townley Field.

Kiwala called all the work a “labor of love” and shared the credit with Park Board members, staffers, contractors and residents.

The reason for departing the district is for a “new adventure,” he said. The Glenview Park District is many times larger than Kenilworth’s, with a budget of approximately $50 million compared to $1.7 million in Kenilworth.

“It was one of the most difficult decisions I ever made,” Kiwala said of leaving. “I am very proud of everything we accomplished (in Kenilworth) and this is something that is a great opportunity for me professionally. I am walking into phenomenal organization … a very, very large park district, where I can expand my professional knowledge, and going into a lot bigger job capacity there made it really attractive.

“But it was a week-long process of not being able to sleep.”

The Kenilworth Park Board has started a committee to lead the search for Kiwala’s replacement. The job posting promoting Kenilworth’s open executive director job is live.

Hart said the park district is looking for an individual who can succeed in a small community, which he said requires strong communication skills to engage with residents and an ability to effectively collaborate with the Village, the local school district and other community organizations.

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