Government
Park District Names Amanda Damisch Interim Director
Friday, July 31, 2026
The Marengo Park District has named Amanda Damisch, who represents Ward 1 on the Marengo City Council, as its interim park district director.
In a press release issued July 31, board President Marty Mohr said the board of commissioners approved an independent consulting agreement with Damisch at a special meeting on July 27. The vote was unanimous among the commissioners present; Commissioner Steve Polizzi was absent. Her tenure took effect July 30.
The appointment follows the departure of Dr. Dan Bertrand, who the board announced in July was leaving after more than five years, with a last scheduled day of August 3.
Under the agreement, Damisch serves as an independent management consultant rather than a district employee, overseeing day-to-day operations and reporting directly to the board. The release describes a broad scope: administrative services, buildings and grounds, recreational programming, and Venue in the Park operations, along with financial reporting and budgeting, risk management, purchasing, human resources, and community outreach. It also assigns her longer-term work, including a capital replacement plan, a legislative agenda, intergovernmental partnerships to pursue grant funding, and liaison duties on the district's bond management.
The district said Damisch's background is in corporate operations, real estate development, and local governance, and that she has more than a decade of operational leadership at Meta and AES. It said she lives within the park district's boundaries.
"We are thrilled to welcome Amanda into this role during a key transition period for our District," Mohr said in the release. He credited her "exceptional attention to detail, proven ability to manage large teams, and strong budgeting experience," and said the board was confident her background would "keep our operations seamless, strengthen our fiscal management, and keep our long-term capital plans moving forward without missing a beat."
The park district is a separate unit of government from the city, with its own elected board and its own tax levy. Damisch will hold both roles at the same time. She was elected to the council in April 2025.
