The Park District Board Wednesday night appointed a former commissioner to replace Ronald Blanchette, who resigned last month just before he was indicted on charges of official misconduct and felony theft.
Edward W. Jacobs, 47, a Motorola attorney and 10-year South Barrington resident, was sworn in less than a year after opting not to seek re-election to the post.
The board approached Jacobs to fill the vacancy, and sought no other candidates, said board President John Ardente.
“Ed is a man with a lot of vision. He’s a very knowledgeable person who will be a real benefit to the Park Board and the district as a whole,” Ardente said.
Jacobs had served on the board for about five years until his term expired last spring.
Because of his busy work schedule, which required a lot of travel, he chose to step aside.
Since then, however, Jacobs has volunteered to help the Park District in real estate matters, such as potential land acquisition and rental of empty space in the Park District center.
Jacobs said he is pleased to return to the board and is looking forward to working on Park District projects.
Blanchette, who was released on a personal recognizance bond after turning himself in to police, served as the board’s treasurer.
South Barrington police allege that Blanchette, 42, deposited $9,783 of park funds into a bank account for his business, Knowledge Management Corp. Police began their investigation after park officials alerted them that an audit revealed missing funds.
If convicted, Blanchette could face up to three years in prison for the theft charge and up to five years for the official misconduct charge.
