Village Manager's Message

Happy New Year!

On December 12, 2025, we held our group's first Town Hall Meeting at the Villa Park Recreation Center. We had tables for Village Commissions and area organizations. We had speeches and a raffle. One of the prizes in the raffle was "Lunch with the Village Manager." You may say, how is this a valid prize? You are more than welcome to debate this issue. Anyway, the winner of this prize was a lovely lady whom we will call “Mrs. S.” Mrs. S. seemed happy to have lunch with me. So much so, I could not help but smile and feel good about this future engagement. I was able to share my contact information with her. It was my intent to honor my obligation after the holidays in early 2026, but Mrs. S. reached out during the holidays. I asked Mrs. S. if she preferred to have lunch in my office or go to a restaurant in town. Gladly, she made the right choice and wanted to have lunch at a restaurant. She picked Simon’s. She also asked if her husband was allowed to go. I said absolutely the answer is yes.

We met for lunch on January 6th, 2026 at 11:30. I noticed she had medium sized notebook that was the same size as mine. We exchanged pleasantries and sat down. I began to tell my tale of how I got to be the Village Manager. She politely interrupted me and stated she has a list of questions. Her first question (and it is a great question): Why did they (The Village) hire a police chief to be our Village Manager? I told Ms. S. several DuPage towns did a similar thing. I said I do have a master’s in public administration, and I know how to get things done. I also trust my leadership style to help Village Staff grow with succession planning.

Ms. S. then asked about the two large-scale developments in town: Hawthorne on Ardmore and the Union on Villa Ave. I gave the best answers I could publicly give. I believe in being honest but not to the point where it damages the Village.

I then had to briefly step away and let management know there is protest planned just outside their parking lot and the protesters were parking in their lot. Management was appreciative of the information. I then let Mr. and Mrs. S know what the protest was about and they were appreciative for the insight.

Mrs. S. then asked about several people who make Village related posts on social media. Since I pay attention to these same posts, I was able to give some unbiased insight. She stated she does not really know what to believe, which is fair.

Lastly, we discussed how great of a Village Villa Park actually is. We talked about how long we both lived in the area and how much things have changed over the years. I wish I could enjoy many more lunches with citizens and connect over our common interest: our love of Villa Park.

View the full weekly report here. All weekly reports can be found on our website's Document Center.

Mike Rivas

Village Manager