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Departments > Office of the Village Manager
| Office of the Village Manager |
 Registered voters of the Village of Oak Lawn elect a President ( Mayor ) at large and six Trustees by district to serve as the Governing Body and legislative branch of your local government. The administrative branch is headed by the office of the Villager Manager who is appointed by the Village President and Trustees without regard to his political beliefs and in return shall be responsible for the efficient management of all departments of the Village. The current Village Manager is Larry R. Deetjen who has 28 plus years in local government serving the communities of Arlington, Massachusetts; Grand Haven, Michigan; and Deerfield Beach, Florida. Larry is pleased and honored to serve Oak Lawn with President Heilmann and the Board of Trustees along with a great management team and a second floor Village Hall executive staff that includes Jane Quinlan; Chad Weiler; Carnie O'Leary; and Christine O'Grady.
Operating your local government is a big business costing $100 million annually and deploying the technical and labor skills of over 375 men and woman to enforce local laws; ensure public safety; respond to and treat medical emergencies; distribute a safe and reliable water supply, clean and maintain streets and water, sanitary and storm mains; sponsor and run special events; provide senior and family services; maintain street lights; upgrade and beautify Village grounds; and intitiate financial and technology programs that upgrade the overall service delivery system.
Larry Deetjen will be the first to say that there is much room for improvement, however , he is quick to add that the key to enhancing the overall quality of life in Oak Lawn for residents, businesses, and visitors is a team effort. Larry says, " Schools, Churches, the Chamber of Commerce, Oak Lawn Park District, Oak Lawn Public Library, Advocate Christ Medical Center, and every civic and community group including the VFW, Rotary, Kiwanis, and Park Lawn are in this together.
The Village Manager then is quick to offer a broad smile and talk about what he has learned in his first six months that sets Oak Lawn ahead of the municipal pack in the Greater Southwest Chicago community. One local bank has more deposits than any of the 1200 branches in its system; Advocate Christ Medical Center and Hope Children's Hospital are award winners and leaders in the health care industry; our fire rescue insurance rating is the highest you can achieve in the United States; retail sales places Oak Lawn in 26th position out of over 1200 Illinois municipalities; local youth have gone on to be leaders in business, sports, music, and entertainment industry; and our Oak Lawn Hilton has started a new phase of growth with a substantial capital investment.
The future certainly is bright in spite of national and regional economic realities. Working together, we can establish a strong base for Oak Lawn as we move into 21st century. The Villager Manager asks all Oak Lawn residents , businesses, and organizations to contribute and make the difference that puts Oak Lawn a cut above the field.
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