New Northbrook Parks Director Makes Safety The Top Priority

NORTHBROOK, IL — James Kim is no stranger to leadership or to utilizing all of the benefits that a local park district can offer area residents.

That experience made him the perfect choice to oversee the Northbrook Park District's operations in a role in which local officials believe the 41-year-old Arlington Heights resident will thrive.

Kim was recently appointed as the Park District's director of parks and properties James Kim, whose experience in the field spans two decades. Before accepting the new role in Northbrook, Kim served as parks superintendent for the Vernon Hills Park District before starting the job last month in Northbrook.

His predecessor, Chris Leiner, was promoted to executive director in September. Kim brings a wealth of valuable experience to the Northbrook Park District, Leiner said.

"I'm pleased that the Northbrook Park District has enlisted a leader like James,” Leiner said in a statement recently released. “His previous professional roles have given him the ability to hit the ground running and immediately establish himself as the leader of the parks and properties division.”

After spending 14 years in Vernon Hills, Kim said he was looking for an opportunity to move forward professionally. Kim lives in Arlington Heights with his wife and their two sons, ages 7 and 9.

He has a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies with a focus on wetlands and waterways from Ashford University.

In Northbrook, Kim oversees the parks and properties division, which consists of 33 full-time employees and 35 permanent part-time staffers who maintain more than 500 acres across 17.25 square miles. That includes 24 parks, Techny Prairie Activity Center, Heritage Oaks Golf Club, the Northbrook Sports Center, the Leisure Center, the Joe Doud administration and parks maintenance building, two outdoor swimming facilities, two sled hills, numerous ball fields and soccer fields, two synthetic turf fields, a variety of outdoor tennis, pickleball, and basketball courts, and the Ed Rudolph velodrome.

“Northbrook is a great community, and having an innovative executive director like Chris Leiner was very appealing to me,” Kim said in a news release. “He’s someone who understands current trends.”

Kim started his career in parks and recreation in 2003 as a seasonal worker for the Morton Grove Park District, where he met his wife. Within a year, he was hired full-time and worked in a variety of parks and grounds roles. He joined the Vernon Hills Park District in 2009 as the facilities foreman and rose to parks superintendent in 2016.

In his new role, Kim also oversees the district’s capital improvement plan, which includes pool renovation work and the replacement of three playgrounds in 2024. Leiner said he’s especially excited to have Kim oversee the upcoming projects at Meadowhill Aquatic Center and Williamsburg Square Park.

As director of parks and properties, Kim said, his top priority is safety. He plans to make extensive use of data to gauge priorities in managing staff’s workload and believes employers must prioritize life-work balance to allow employees to thrive. He advocates clear communication and always “putting your best foot forward” when dealing with the public, he said.

Kim is a first-generation U.S. citizen who grew up with South Korean parents in Chicago’s Edison Park neighborhood. “You get a different perspective in life when your parents don’t speak the language. You have to grow up pretty fast.”

Working in parks and recreation has enhanced his life, Kim said.

“At first it was just a job,” he said. “Now, being outside is a big part of my life. There is the health aspect, but it’s also about simply feeling the breeze and the sun on your face," Kim said.
"There’s nothing like it.”

In their free time, he and his wife enjoy cooking together and coaching basketball at the Arlington Park District, where their sons play.

Established in 1927, the mission of the Northbrook Park District is to enhance the community by providing outstanding services, parks, and facilities through environmental, social, and financial stewardship.