A resolution to honor Oak Park Village Manager Cara Pavlicek was read at Monday’s village board meeting, with some trustees getting emotional while paying tribute to the person they described as an invaluable mentor.
Pavlicek has been Oak Park’s village manager since beginning in an interim role in 2012, and was named the permanent village manager the following year. She will end her career in Oak Park Aug. 19 and will head to Northbrook, where she will become that village’s first-ever female village manager.
Lisa Shelley, Oak Park’s Deputy Village Manager, will start as interim village manager Aug. 20.
During Pavlicek’s tenure, the village of Oak Park saw a significant increase in development, particularly in its downtown area, where four large residential buildings were completed. Pavlicek, the first woman to serve as village manager in the history of Oak Park, also oversaw the revitalization of the Madison Street corridor, which included a road diet and various other developments, including new residences and a Pete’s Fresh Market grocery store that’s expected to break ground soon.
The resolution, read at Monday’s meeting via Zoom by former trustee Ray Johnson, touted many of Pavlicek’s accomplishments including many capital improvements, the establishing of the Early Childhood Collaboration, her leadership during the pandemic and her skill at managing Oak Park’s more than 300 employees.
After it was read, several trustees gave their own tributes to Pavlicek, most of whom described her as an invaluable resource.
“I think you will always be remembered in the Village of Oak Park and think you’ve left a mark on the village as well,” Trustee Ravi Parakkat said.
For Trustee Lucia Robinson, Pavlicek’s legacy was more personal, as someone who always was around to give advice.
“Thank you for spring-boarding new trustees as we get our feet wet. I felt like I could have all of my million questions answered by you and was never rushed,” Robinson said.
And Village President Vicki Scaman cited Pavlicek’s example to her as a woman in a leadership role.
“You’ve become a mentor to me as a woman in this leadership position that I know I take up a lot of your time in working through and I’m extremely grateful,” Scaman said.
Pavlicek thanked the trustees for the tributes and talked about the many people she worked with in her nine years as manager, saying she worked with three village presidents, 17 trustees and three village clerks during her tenure. However, she saved her biggest thanks for the employees of Oak Park and her family, at which point she shed some tears.
Referring to the village’s 300 employees, Pavlicek said, “It’s amazing to me that when they do their jobs the best, we don’t know they’re there. I think about drinking water and street lights. I think about the snow plow truck drivers that are gone on Christmas or gone on Hanukkah or miss Thanksgiving dinner or their anniversaries because they are out plowing snow. I’m so appreciative of them, I’m so appreciative of our first responders, they always answer the call when someone calls and needs them the most.”
Village trustees also have a farewell send-off event planned for Pavlicek scheduled for August 17 from 3 to 5 p.m. outside of Village Hall.
