Winnetka’s Bahan will retire, hand village manager seat to second in command

The Village of Winnetka’s top employee is calling it a career.

Village Manager Rob Bahan announced during the Village Council’s Tuesday, July 15 meeting that he will retire from his post as the town’s operations leader at the end of September.

Bahan served as village manager in Winnetka for 15 years and has more than 35 years of experience in the city management field.

“Public service has been my life’s work and passion and serving as your village manager has been the most meaningful chapter of my professional career,” Bahan said during the July 15 session. “The opportunity to lead this exceptional organization, to work alongside such dedicated staff and elected officials and to serve this remarkable community has truly been an honor.”

“Over these past 15 years we have faced challenges and celebrated successes together,” Bahan continued. “Whether it was our infrastructure, developing vibrant business districts, guiding long-range planning initiatives, enhancing our financial stability or responding to unforeseen events, I’ve always been inspired by the professionalism and integrity of this organization.

“We’ve worked collaboratively to make Winnetka stronger, more resilient and well positioned for the future.”

While Bahan’s role as village manager will come to an end in just months, his work with Winnetka is far from over.

Trustees during the meeting approved an amendment to Bahan’s existing employment agreement with the village. Part of that amendment includes a provision that will keep Bahan on as an employee of Winnetka through April 2026, village attorney Peter Friedman said.

Bahan will depart from his role as village manager on Oct. 1 of this year and will then subsequently transition into a new position as the village’s strategic development manager.

The council’s Sept. 16 meeting will be Bahan’s last as village manager, Friedman confirmed. Starting in October, Bahan will work from home but will also be provided working space in the village as needed, Friedman noted, adding that he will be available on a full-time basis during the transition period.

Bahan, during that period, will be tasked with leading specific projects, including staff development, recruitment of a new deputy village manager for the village, Winnetka’s ongoing stormwater management, jurisdictional transfer work with IDOT, planning work for streetscape improvements in the Hubbard Woods district and on Green Bay Road, and guidance on an electric plant generation study.

Friedman said that Bahan’s compensation will continue at its current amount during the transition period. Winnetka trustees in March of this year approved a resolution that updated Bahan’s salary to $25,375 per month, an equivalent of $304,500 annually.

Additionally, as part of that updated compensation agreement in March, Bahan received a one-time bonus of $25,000, according to village documents.

Retirement benefits for Bahan, according to Friedman, include 36 months of health insurance, a payout of his accrued vacation and sick days and a one-time tax gross out payment of $80,000 to cover the tax liability created by the village’s required forgiveness of the housing loan that the village provided to him as part of 2017 compensation agreement.

Village President Bob Dearborn took a brief moment to thank Bahan for his many accomplishments at the town’s helm over the last decade and a half.

“You’ve been a steady force representing this village, supporting this village and doing great work and we’re deeply appreciative of that,” Dearborn said.

Bahan’s retirement marks the departure of another key Winnetka official.

Community Development Director David Schoon retired in April of this year after more than seven years of service with the village. And in late March, the village also bid farewell to its Economic Development Coordinator Liz Dechant, who departed to take a leadership position in Schaumburg.

Trustees promote Kristin Kazenas to village manager

A familiar face will succeed Bahan and take over as Winnetka’s next village manager.

Trustees during the July 15 meeting also approved an employment agreement with Kristin Kazenas to make her the village’s next leader.

Kazenas, who joined Winnetka in 2020, is currently the town’s deputy village manager and has previously served in Winnetka as assistant village manager. Kazenas has also previously held public-leadership roles in Hawthorn Woods and nearby Park Ridge.

The approved agreement takes effect immediately and states that Kazenas will begin her role as village manager on Oct. 1 of this year. She will begin with a base salary of $260,000, Friedman said, adding that there will not be a salary adjustment until Jan. 1 of 2027.

“It truly is an honor to be your next village manager,” Kazenas said during the meeting. “Rob exemplifies the Winnetka way and has set such a high standard throughout his 15 years of dedicated service and I’m committed to a smooth transition maintaining those high standards and continuing to move the village forward.”

Bahan said he’s “fully committed to supporting a smooth and thoughtful transition” as Kazenas prepares to take over.

“There will be more time for goodbyes and reflections over the coming months, but for now, I simply just want to say thank you and to reaffirm my commitment to supporting a smooth and thoughtful transition as the village prepares for the next chapter of its history,” he said.

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