Longtime Oak Forest Official Jim Richmond Retires After 45 Years

OAK FOREST, IL — Longtime Oak Forest city official and former mayor Jim Richmond announced he will retire from City Hall before the end of the year after almost 45 years in service to the city.

Richmond's last day as the executive assistant to Mayor Hank Kuspa will be Dec. 31, city officials told Patch.

The former mayor got his start in Oak Forest as a city manager under former Oak Forest Mayor Jim Jesk in 1977. There, he was responsible for the relocation and development of the new City Hall from the Cicero Avenue location to Central Avenue.

After leaving the city for a new opportunity in Valparaiso, Richmond returned to Oak Forest to run for mayor in 1993, defeating incumbent Jim Malecky.

In office, city officials told Patch Richmond's major accomplishments included a referendum to reduce the number of aldermen elected to each of Oak Forest's wards, a move taken from his time in Chicago city government.

In addition to the referendum, Richmond established the city's first ethics ordinance and senior bus service as well as kick started the development of Oak Commons before leaving his elected role to serve as executive assistant.

For the past 12 years, Richmond has managed day-to-day operations of the mayor's office, using his past experience to field comments and questions from residents as well as serving as the Freedom of Information Officer.

"I will miss the daily contact with residents and business people, as well as the opportunity to
serve them," Richmond said when asked what he will miss most about the city he served for almost half a century. "I will also miss working with seven extremely fine aldermen, as well as the other elected officials and so many wonderful city employees."

Richmond said he and his wife, Sharon, will spend retirement working on "long-delayed projects" for her.