Politics & Government

City Manager Retiring, Deputy City Manager to Replace Him

David Knapp will retire in November. The Highland Park City Council plans to appoint Ghida Neukirch to replace him.

The following is from the City of Highland Park:

On June 9, 2014, City Manager David Knapp informed the Highland Park City Council of his plan to retire in November of this year, ending a career that spans more than 50 years of public service. He served as a city manager in Boulder, Colorado; Los Gatos, California; Cupertino, California and Highland Park, Illinois.  

“I have had a wonderful experience serving multiple communities. In November, I’ll be 74 years old, and I look forward to retiring and spending more time with my family and doing some traveling,” Knapp said.  

The City Council will appoint Deputy City Manager Ghida Neukirch to City Manager following David’s retirement set for November 3, 2014. Ghida began working with the City in August 2012 and will work closely with David to assure a smooth transition over the next five months.  

“It has been a pleasure working with Dave over the last few years. Upon his arrival he brought much needed stability, wisdom and knowledge that has been invaluable as we focused on our core priorities,” Mayor Nancy Rotering stated. “While we wish Dave and Kay a wonderful retirement, we look forward to working with Ghida in her capacity as City Manager. She is highly respected by the Council, her peers and colleagues. Her commitment to our city is contagious. Her energy, responsiveness and experience will serve the City well.”  

Neukirch has 21 years of municipal management experience, including 13 years with the Village of Buffalo Grove and six years with the Village of Niles. She holds a B.A. from DePaul University, a Master of Public Administration from Northern Illinois University, is a credentialed manager through the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and she served as President of the Illinois City/County Management Association.  

“It has been an honor working with the City Council and staff, and I look forward to serving the City in this new capacity as Manager,” Neukirch stated. “We have set in place a transition plan that will assure all operations and management of the City will transition smoothly.”  

The City Council will take action on the appointment of Ghida Neukirch as City Manager at its regularly scheduled Council meeting on July 14, 2014, with an effective date of November 3, 2014. 


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