Lake in the Hills village administrator to resign; last day is March 11

After 20 years with Lake in the Hills, Village Administrator Fred Mullard plans to resign in March, according to a news release.

Mullard took over as interim village administrator after the former incumbent, Jennifer Clough, resigned in June 2020 after it was revealed she and other numerous village officials texted each other on their work phones during Village Board meetings about playing drinking games and made jokes about COVID-19.

A month after taking the interim role in July 2020, Mullard’s appointment was finalized, the Northwest Herald reported at the time. Mullard had worked for the village since 2001 and previously had served as the community services director.

His last day with the village will be March 11, according to the village release.

“Fred’s strong leadership, wise decision making, and breadth of experience will be missed,” Village President Ray Bogdanowski said in a statement. “The positive impacts he has made while serving our community for over two decades will endure, and we wish him the best going forward.”

Mullard is credited with leading the village through the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic while navigating significant changes in the leadership team, according to the release. Despite these challenges, he prepared a balanced fiscal 2022 budget that did not include an inflationary property tax increase.

The levy was increased 0.6%, or $33,163, to capture new construction, which includes improvements such as an addition on a home or a new subdivision.

Bogdanowski plans to recommend Shannon Andrews, the current assistant village administrator, to serve as Mullard’s replacement. The Village Board will need to approve the appointment.

Andrews has more than 15 years of municipal management experience, most of that with Lake in the Hills, according to the release. She has a master’s degree in business administration and previously worked for the villages of Lakewood and North Barrington.

Mullard’s salary sat about $178,700 for fiscal 2022 plus a $4,500 vehicle allowance and a $1,762 bonus, according to the village’s compensation report. Andrews’s salary was about $117,500 plus $2,000 for waiving health insurance and a $1,159 bonus.

The village currently is accepting applications for Andrews’ replacement. Details of the position and application procedures are available at www.lith.org.