Niemela named new Batavia Park District executive director

BATAVIA – Allison Niemela, director of marketing and public relations for the Batavia Park District, was named the district's executive director at a special Batavia Park Board meeting Thursday.

The appointment takes effect Sept. 1, and the board will formally ratify her contract at its Sept. 18 meeting

Niemela fills the vacancy left by Mike Clark, who took a position at the Palatine Park District in January. Over the past seven months, Niemela has served as interim executive director.

Under her watch, she, along with the department heads, managed the day-to-day operations of the park district.

"The Board is really humbled by the fact that the community has provided so much input on what they want to see from their Park District," Batavia Park Board President Pat Callahan said. "Residents see opportunities for improvement, and we believe Allison has the skill sets to implement that through our strategic master plan."