Interim City Manager Kelley Gandurski announced three key leadership appointments in the city’s Parks & Recreation Department.
Interim Parks & Recreation Director Audrey Thompson has been appointed to lead the department as Director on a permanent basis, while Public Works Forestry Supervisor/Arborist Michael Callahan will join the department as Assistant Director. Tim Carter, Program Coordinator at the Levy Senior Center, has been promoted to serve as Lakefront Manager. Thompson and Carter’s appointments are effective immediately, while Callahan will officially begin his new position on April 25.
“Audrey, Michael and Tim each bring more than a decade of experience to these critical leadership roles and embody the character, values and commitment to public service necessary to serve our community,” said Gandurski. “As we approach a busy summer season, I look forward to working with each of them to provide residents and visitors with world-class recreation opportunities while continuing to implement the changes needed to ensure a positive workplace culture of safety, accountability and respect.”
Thompson appointed Parks & Recreation Director
Audrey Thompson
As Director of the city’s Parks & Recreation Department, Thompson will be responsible for managing all staff, programming and activities at the city’s seven recreation community centers, 76 parks and five public swimming beaches.
Thompson has served as the Parks & Recreation Department’s Interim Director since February 2022, where she has prioritized implementation of the Evanston law firm Salvatore, Prescott, Porter & Porter’s recommendations following its independent investigation into misconduct among lakefront staff. Since Thompson’s appointment, the city has made progress on a number of the firm’s recommendations, including:
- Planning for the implementation of all necessary staff safety training by experienced professionals, including training on the city’s anti-harassment policies. The city has retained a seasoned parks and recreation expert to assist the department in ensuring best practices are met and exceeded.
- Focusing on hiring, onboarding, training and developing staff at all levels, from seasonal to full-time management.
- Revising the city’s lakefront manual to adopt new practices and procedures recommended by Salvatore, Prescott, Porter & Porter.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve our community in this important role and to build on the progress we’ve made to ensure a safe, welcoming and enriching experience for all lakefront visitors and employees,” said Thompson. “We have a talented and dedicated team, and I look forward to working with our staff to exceed our community’s expectations and restore public confidence and trust in the department.”
Prior to serving as interim Parks & Recreation Director, Thompson oversaw the city’s Community Services Division, where she led Youth & Young Adult and Senior Services programs. In 2021, Thompson and her team launched the My City, Your City, Our City program, which provides summer and year-round activities geared towards youth ages 13 to 18 years old. The innovative program was recently highlighted by What Works Cities for its use of data to guide decision making. The Community Services Division will continue to report to Thompson in her new role.
Thompson joined the city in 2010 as Regional Ombudsman and Program Manager. Prior to her service in Evanston, she spent 18 years at Mississippi Children’s Home Services in Jackson, Mississippi, rising to the position of Central Region Director for Community-based Services. She is a licensed Master Social Worker and serves as an adjunct professor in the Social Work Department of Northeastern Illinois University. She earned a master’s degree in social work from Jackson State University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Tougaloo College. Thompson is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and was the recipient of the 2017 Evanston/North Shore NAACP Community Service Award.
Callahan appointed Parks & Recreation Director
Michael Callahan
As Assistant Director of the Parks & Recreation Department, Callahan will serve as the number two official overseeing department services, programs, facilities and staff. In this role, Callahan will initially focus on managing and maintaining outdoor infrastructure and green spaces at the city’s parks, beaches and lakefront.
Since 2018, Callahan has served as forestry supervisor/arborist in the city’s Public Works Agency where he has overseen day-to-day operations of the Forestry Division, including maintaining park greenways and infrastructure, developing natural areas to meet recreational and ecological goals, and managing contractors and vendors. Callahan has been especially successful in reviewing systems of operation and implementing processes and procedures to improve efficiencies for the benefit of staff and the public.
Prior to his service with the City of Evanston, Callahan worked as Arborist/Forestry Supervisor for the City of Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Department, and before that held positions with the DeKalb Police Department and The Care of Trees, an environmental and horticulture services company. Callahan holds a Master of Science degree in Recreation, Sport, and Tourism from the University of Illinois and Bachelor of Science degrees in Urban Forestry and Wildlife Science from Purdue University.
Carter appointed Lakefront Manager
Tim Carter
As Lakefront Manager, Carter will primarily oversee operations, programming and staff at the city’s five public swimming beaches and boat launch facilities.
Carter has more than a decade of experience in recreation and facilities management, and has served in the city’s Parks & Recreation Department since 2018 as Recreation Program Coordinator at the Levy Center. In that position, Carter has assisted department leadership with facilities management and program coordination and has overseen implementation of social services and senior programming, including special events, congregate meal distribution and benefit access programs.
Prior to his service with the City of Evanston, Carter held supervisory positions with Ela Township in Lake Zurich, Timber Ridge Lodge and Waterpark, and the Rolling Meadows Park District. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation and Park Administration from Illinois State University.
Source: City of Evanston