Riverside’s public works director submitted his resignation and will be taking a new position as the Village of Oak Brook’s public works director.

Mike Hullihan said he has been the public works director in Riverside since 2002 and has enjoyed every minute but has decided to leave for an expanded professional opportunity in Oak Brook.

“The Village of Riverside is an excellent community and I have really enjoyed my time as the director of public works,” Hullihan said. “The opportunity to work in a community the size of Oak Brook with its varied construction projects really suits my career goals.”

The Village of Oak Brook will offer Hullihan expanded duties and plans on merging the engineering department with the public works department, according to Hullihan.

“I have background in both of those areas,” Hullihan said. “It’s a little bit expanded professional opportunity.”

Kathleen Rush, Riverside village manager, said Hullihan was a great asset to the management team and was involved in some major improvements.

Hullihan was involved with changing the village’s water system from a gravity water system to a direct pump water system, which Hullihan said was a big project that included building pump stations. The new public works building was built, the historic water tower was restored, a road improvement program was implemented and a water meter replacement project were all handled under Hullihan’s direction.

Rush said the village has teamed with a public recruitment firm to begin looking for a new public works director. She said it will probably take a minimum of 90 days before a new director is found.

Meanwhile, Nathan Theil will be acting as the public works director for the village along with Rush’s assistance.

Rush said Hullihan is going to be missed and it will be difficult to find someone with his skill set and resourcefulness.

“Riverside has got a lot of unique characteristics that need to be tended to by the public works,” Rush said. “We need to find someone who is going to be as attentive to those needs as Mike was.”