Former County Board Chairman Mike McCoy Recommended for Kane's Representative on Metra Board

A special Task Force of Kane County Board members voted this week to recommend the appointment of former County Board Chairman Mike McCoy of Aurora to the region's Commuter Rail Service, or Metra, Board.

County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay, who concurred in the recommendation, will request Wednesday that the board's Executive Committee add the proposed appointment to the County Board's July 12 agenda.

McCoy was chairman from 1996 to 2004.

If his appointment is approved by board vote, McCoy will replace former County Board member Caryl Van Overmeiren at what McConnaughay said would be "the first available opportunity."

Because of the executive session-nature of the Task Force proceedings, Van Overmeiren said she would refrain from commenting on the situation until after Wednesday's Executive Committee meeting. This afternoon, Van Overmeiren did submit her resignation letter, effective July 12.

McConnaughay and members of the task force praised Van Overmeiren for agreeing to participate in the final, closed-door, review process that resulted in the McCoy recommendation and said the move was not a reflection of her performance or commitment to making proactive changes at Metra.

Van Overmeiren was appointed to the Metra Board in 2008. Her term runs through 2012.

According to McConnaughay, Van Overmeiren endorsed the task force recommendation and expressed excitement at McCoy's prospective appointment.

In a May 16 letter to the County Board, McConnaughay said "future success of Metra would be best served by the resignation of the entire (11-member) board" given the tumult at the agency over the past year, including the ongoing investigation into "the significant financial improprieties by the former (and deceased) Metra executive director."

"I have nothing but praise for Caryl," said County Board member Jesse Vazquez of Aurora, who along with board members Drew Frasz of Elburn, Catherine Hurlbut of Elgin and Michael Donahue of Geneva, evaluated and ranked 41 applicants for the position, taking into account experience that is relative or applicable to a public transit board, an availability to serve, and a convincing demonstration of why candidates consider themselves qualified.

"We made it clear to Caryl that this was not a decision about her," said Vazquez. "We've been fortunate to have her on the Metra Board."

Frasz, along with Vazquez, praised what they described as "a huge pool of talent" from which to make a recommendation. "They could all help us in other areas," said Frasz.

Three of the top four finalists were tied numerically based on the evaluation criteria set by the Task Force.

McConnaughay, who chaired the Task Force, did not participate in the independent ranking of the candidates but did join the four County Board members in interviewing the finalists. The formal vetting process began June 16.

McConnaughay is empowered by state statute to make the Kane County appointment with the advice and consent of the County Board but has opted, she said, for a countywide search, vetting and recommendation process as a proactive step "to reassess our Kane County representation on the Metra Board, not only during this time of crisis but for the future viability of the Metra system."

The Metra post pays $15,000 annually.

Van Overmeiren was a member of the Kane County Board for 14 years. When she retired from the board in December 2006 she was praised as "a tireless advocate of health care for the county's residents" and a leadership style that was open and inclusive.

In a resolution marking her tenure, she was described as "a woman with vision, ability and a profound faith in humanity who does not see herself as a politician but as someone who wants to give back to her community through compromise and compassion. Her zeal and allegiance to the Kane County Board organization have known no limits."

McCoy, a lifelong resident of Aurora and Kane County, is a registered professional engineer with a wide range of experience in public infrastructure and transportation. A chairman of the County Board, he presided over one of Kane County's most dramatic growth periods and is generally credited with initiating many of its nationally recognized planning efforts.

Since 2009 he has been senior project manager for Omega & Associates in Chicago, where he has overseen major transportation rehabilitation projects with a combined construction value of$100 million.

This article is courtesy of a Kane County press release.