Arlington Heights Manager Bill Dixon Announces Retirement

Arlington Heights Village Manager Bill Dixon announced Wednesday that he will retire from the Village in late June of this year. Dixon, 67, started as Village Manager in January of 1993 after serving as City Manager for St. Louis Park, Minnesota, a highly regarded suburb of Minneapolis.

“I had intended to retire from the Village in the Spring of 2013 but decided to stay one more year when I learned that the Village would have a new Mayor and two new Trustees as a result of last April’s election. It was important that the Village have managerial continuity at a time when there was significant change on the Village Board. The transition has gone well,” Dixon said

During his 21 years with the Village, Dixon oversaw the Village’s award-winning Downtown redevelopment and the upgrade of several Village facilities. In addition, he had a key role as the Village grappled with challenges posed by the economic downturn that began in 2008.

Dixon is only the fourth Manager in the 60 years that Arlington Heights has utilized the Council-Manager form of government. As Village Manager, he is responsible for proposing the Village’s annual budget, appointing employees including Department Directors, and working closely with the Village Board on matters requiring Board direction and action in its policy-making role. Dixon manages the day-to-day operations of the Village and oversees a staff of more than 430 employees and administers a budget of over $154 million.

He obtained his undergraduate degree from Loyola University of Chicago and began his career as Administrative Assistant to the City Manager of Champaign while finishing his Master’s Degree in Public Administration at the University of Illinois. After various Assistant positions held in Champaign, Aurora, Colorado and Glen Ellyn, Dixon was appointed as Glen Ellyn’s first professional administrator at the age of 28.

After serving nine years as Village Administrator of Glen Ellyn, Bill was appointed City Manager of Carbondale. Following his leadership role in Carbondale, Dixon was appointed City Manager of St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

In regards to his professional affiliations, he has served on the Board of Directors of the Illinois City and County Management Association following a lengthy tenure on the Association’s Professional Conduct Committee. Dixon is a graduate of the Senior Executive Institute at the University of Virginia.

“Bill is a man of great honesty and integrity and this community has been fortunate to have had him as their Village Manager for the past 21 years,” said Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes. “Having participated in his hiring, I am even more confident now than I was then that we picked the right man for the job. Bill's leadership and steady hand at the helm has been critical to providing the high quality services our Village enjoys. He will be greatly missed by the Village Board, his staff and residents. We wish him the very best in his retirement and thank him for helping make this community the great place it is to live and work.”