Geneva’s police chief and city administrator are both retiring this spring.
Police Chief Steve Mexin’s last day in the city of 21,500 is scheduled for May 6, and City Administrator Mary McKittrick is set to leave June 10.
The police chief is one of several officials who report directly to the city administrator, but their departures are not connected, said city spokesman Kevin Stahr. Both public employees determined their retirements independently and the city decided to release the news at the same time, Stahr said.
McKittrick and Mexin each listed spending more time with family as a reason for retiring. McKittrick also wants to travel more, while Mexin is looking forward to pursuing more volunteer activities and other outside interests.
Mayor Kevin Burns has worked with both retiring officials since his first election to City Council in 1997 and will introduce their successors to the public during Monday night’s City Council meeting, after McKittrick and Mexin are expected to formally announce their retirements. Both positions are mayor-appointed but require a City Council vote to approve. Burns has talked about the successors with aldermen both privately and in closed-session meetings and believes they unanimously agree on the best people for each role, he said.
Current Police Cmdr. Eric Passarelli will assume the role of police chief May 9, while assistant city administrator and director of administrative services Stephanie Dawkins will succeed McKittrick June 13, Stahr said.
McKittrick started working for Geneva in 1999 as assistant city administrator and director of administrative services and was appointed city administrator in 2008, the same year her fellow retiree rose to police chief. She previously worked in local government as an elected official starting in 1985 and became the first village administrator for Oswego in 1991.
She is also legislative chair of the Metro West Council of Government — an association of 35 municipalities in Kane, Kendall and DeKalb counties collaborating on regional issues — and member of the Illinois Municipal League’s Managers Committee and the Northern Illinois University Public Administration Board of Advisors. She periodically instructs classes at Waubonsee Community College and holds occasional training sessions related to leadership, governance, local government and strategic planning.
As city administrator, McKittrick supervises all department heads, manages daily government operations and oversees annual budget preparation as budget officer, according to the city. When she took over as administrator during the recession, she reduced the city’s general fund budget by more than 20 percent — currently the budget is $1 million less than it was eight years ago.
“My passion and calling in life was to serve in local government,” McKittrick said. “I have been fortunate to have done that for more than 30 years, first as an elected official and then as a chief administrative officer overseeing a multi-million dollar municipal corporation. I am proud to have served our community alongside our Geneva city staff, who reflect professionalism, ethics, accountability and collaboration in their daily work.”
McKittrick’s colleagues consider her influential in creating the city’s Strategic Plan Advisory Committee, Student Government Program and Employee Ethics Committee, which developed the city’s code of ethics. Her stewardship of the city’s mission and vision helped build “a culture of excellence,” Burns said.
“Her contributions were the result of her selfless work ethic and personal commitment to serving the best interests of the citizens and businesses who call Geneva home,” Burns said. “Geneva is better off because of Mary’s tenure.”
McKittrick has been an advocate for communications outreach and oversaw the updating of the city’s website, including the addition of a transparency web page, city officials said.
Similarly tech-oriented, Mexin is credited with leading the police department into the digital age. With Mexin as chief, the department scanned and digitized police records dating back to the 1950s, upgraded mobile data computers in squad cars and implemented an electronic booking process, according to city officials.
Mexin joined Geneva’s police department as a patrol officer in 1989 and has led the department for the past eight years. He was promoted to patrol sergeant in 1997, commander of police services in 2002 and police chief in 2008. During his tenure with the department, Mexin has also worked as a field training officer, field training coordinator, intern program coordinator and member of the tactical response unit. Also since 2008, Mexin has been a member of the Tri-Com Central Dispatch Board of Directors.
His other membership affiliations include the Kane County Chiefs of Police, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Northern Illinois Chapter of the FBI National Academy Association. He graduated from the FBI National Academy in 2005.
As chief, Mexin supervises the police department’s 49 employees.
Burns called Mexin’s leadership “humble” and described the departing chief as “a public servant in the truest sense.”
“Steve (Mexin)’s integrity, compassion and vision has helped ensure that Geneva remains a safe and secure community for people of every age,” the mayor said.
Mexin took on the department amid fiscal challenges brought on by the 2008 recession and the following years of an unstable economy, city officials said. Since then, the department has reported a 41 percent drop in major crime and 36 percent decrease in theft, according to 2015 crime statistics.
“From day one, that has been a huge challenge to maintain the current level of services our community has come to expect with budget cuts each year,” Mexin said. “Considering the financial obstacles we have had to endure, Geneva has maintained an excellent level of safety.”
Building relationships within the police force and between officers and the community has been one of Mexin’s top priorities, he said.
“It has been my honor to serve as chief of police on a department made up of such fine people,” Mexin said.
