New Village Manager In Ongoing Lawsuit Against Orland Park Mayor

NILES, IL — The Niles Village Board of Trustees has appointed a village manager to take over from Steven C. Vinezeano, who retired in January. Illinois native Joe La Margo comes to Niles from Portage, Michigan, where he was the city manager for two years.

La Margo is set to begin his new role on Aug. 31. Officials said he stood out from a candidate pool of over 60 applicants due to his financial roles and national awards. Prior to Portage, La Margo worked for the Cook County Bureau of Finance, the Cook County Clerk's Department of Tax and Real Estate, the Illinois Secretary of State and the Village of Orland Park.

In 2021, La Margo won a community leadership award for this work in preventing a possible contamination of Portage's water system.

"We are excited to bring La Margo on board during this time of great potential for the Village," said Niles Mayor George Alpogianis in a press release. "There is so much community growth and development right around the corner, and Joe's sound financial background is just the thing we need right now as we're coming out of this devastating pandemic and setting up the pieces for long-term success."

Alpogianis was a part of the original committee that spearheaded the search for a new manager, but he did not comment on La Margo's ongoing lawsuit against Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau.

La Margo resigned from his role in Orland Park in 2019. Shortly after, he filed a defamation lawsuit against Pekau, alleging that the mayor had made "disparaging" comments about him which violated the terms of his separation.

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La Margo's Orland Park salary and benefits totaled about $229,000. As Niles' village manager, he is expected to make about $225,000 per year, according to a village spokesman.

Niles Assistant Village Manager Hadley Skeffington-Vos, who has been serving as acting village manager, was among three finalists for the permanent position, Alpogianis said. He reiterated La Margo's financial background played a major role in his final decision.

La Margo has a master's degree in organizational leadership and public policy from Lewis University in Romeoville and a bachelor's degree in business administration from Loyola University Chicago.