Marengo Park District Director Dan Bertrand to Leave Aug. 3; Board Opens Interim Search

The Marengo Park District's executive director, Dr. Dan Bertrand, will leave the district in early August after more than five years, and the board of commissioners has begun looking for an interim replacement.

In a press release issued July 14, the board said Bertrand submitted a 30-day termination notice on July 4, ending the independent-contractor consulting agreement he first signed on February 1, 2021. His last day is August 3. Bertrand previously served 11 years as superintendent of Marengo Community High School District 154, retiring from that post in 2016 before joining the park district.

Board President Marty Mohr credited Bertrand in the release, saying he "worked hand-in-hand with this Board" and "leaves the Marengo Park District in a significantly stronger operational position than he found it." The board pointed to projects completed during his tenure, among them the Venue in the Park pavilion, built with a state OSLAD grant; the conversion of the district's old tennis courts into basketball and pickleball courts; and a backlog of deferred maintenance. The board said the work was done without raising local property taxes, crediting a 2021 refinancing of the district's bond debt.

The board said it is now accepting resumes for an interim Director of Park Operations. The posting describes an independent-contractor role on a month-to-month contract with negotiable pay, serving in effect as the district's chief operating officer under the Illinois Park District Code. The board said it has a transition plan in place to avoid disruption to programming, maintenance, and grant management. Résumés go directly to Mohr at mmohr@marengoparkdistrict.org.