Journal & Topics Media Group

Niles Names La Margo As Next Village Manager; Vote On Appointment Tuesday

Current City Manager In Michigan, With Chicago Area Experience, Would Start Aug. 31

Joe La Margo. (Photo provided)

Niles village officials announced Joe La Margo as their next village manager Friday following an extensive search process. Village trustees are expected to vote on Mayor George Alpogianis’ recommendation for La Margo’s appointment at the Tuesday, July 27 village board meeting. 

La Margo’s start date is expected to be Tuesday, Aug. 31, village officials said. La Margo is currently city manager in Portage, MI. He has 27 years of government experience and has worked extensively in the Chicago area. Alpogianis said La Margo is required to give the city of Portage 45 days’ notice before his resignation. 

La Margo would replace former Village Manager Steve Vinezeano, who retired from the village at the end of January and currently works for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Since Vinezeano’s retirement, Deputy Village Manager Hadley Skeffington-Vos has served as acting village manager. 

Alpogianis said La Margo presented himself very well in interviews and said he is “meticulously detail-oriented.” The mayor said he was impressed by La Margo’s strong financial background and said he strongly values the contributions of frontline employees to village operations. 

Niles officials gave a brief synopsis of La Margo’s work history: “La Margo began his nearly 27-year government career serving as a budget analyst for the Cook County Bureau of Finance with the Department of Budget and Management Services. He then served as deputy director of the Cook County Clerk’s Department of Tax and Real Estate before joining the Illinois Secretary of State in 1999. In 2006, La Margo began working for the Village of Orland Park, first as deputy clerk. He was then promoted to assistant village manager in 2015 and served as village manager in 2017. He also served as the village’s public information officer from 2012 to 2018.” 

Alpogianis said La Margo would earn an annual salary of a little more than $200,000 and would have personal use of a village fleet vehicle, as Vinezeano did.

Shortly after Vinezeano left, the village formed an ad hoc village manager search committee which included then-Mayor Andrew Przybylo, Village Trustee Alpogianis (who was sworn-in as mayor in May), along with village trustees Craig Niedermaier and Denise McCreery. 

The committee was assisted in its search by the executive search firm GovHR USA after a request for proposals process. 

More than 60 applied to be the new Niles village manager from 11 states. That list of applicants was narrowed to 12 candidates, interviewed by GovHR before recommending six candidates who held interviews with the village ad hoc committee. The village committee selected three top finalists who interviewed with department heads and the full village board.

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