Administrative Department
Village Administrator: Paul Peterson
Paul has been a South Chicago Heights resident for the last 52 years. He has served the village since 1983, the last 19 years as Village Administrator. As Village Administrator, Paul oversees the day-to-day operations of the village – serving directly under Mayor Owen and the Village Board of Trustees. He has also served as Water Billing Clerk, Data Processing Manager, Office Manager and Deputy Village Clerk. Paul has been a member of the 90th Anniversary Book Committee, the Centennial Committee, the 9-1-1 Board, the Veterans Memorial Committee, and the Steering Committee for the South East Commuter Rail. Paul is a member of the South Suburban Mayors & Managers Association where he serves on the Management & Finance Committee and is a former member of the Executive Committee. Paul is a member of the Illinois Municipal Treasurers Association, the International City/County Managers Association, and the Illinois Municipal Clerks Association.
Paul’s education includes training and certification in the Illinois Municipal League (IML) Leadership Enhancement and Development program, the IML Leadership Forum, and the National Incident Management System. He graduated from Prairie State College with an Associate degree, from DePaul University with a Bachelor degree, and from Governors State University (GSU) with a Master degree in Public Administration. While Paul matriculated at GSU, he served as President of the Master of Public Administration Club and received numerous academic awards. Paul has taught Public Administration classes as an adjunct professor for GSU. Paul was married for 24 years to his wife, Wilma, who recently passed away.
To contact the Village Administrator, you can email him at ppeterson@southchicagoheights.com.
Finance Director: John F. Dolasinski
John has served as the Village's Finance Director, Treasurer and Assistant Village Administrator since September 2006. Previous governmental positions include Director of Finance for the Village of Lincolnwood (1992-2002), Finance Director / Treasurer for the Village of Brookfield (2002-2006) and Finance Director for the City of Berwyn (2006). Prior to a career in government, worked in public accounting for 4 years primarily performing audits of state and local governments, non-profit organizations and financial institutions. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Northeastern Illinois University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from University of Illinois – Chicago. He is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed to practice in Illinois since 1991. John is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Illinois CPA Society, the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada and the Illinois Government Finance Officers Association. John is a Veteran of the US Army, serving 3 years active duty plus 6 years standby reserve as a Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers.
To contact the Finance Director, you can email him at jdolasinski@southchicagoheights.com.
Director of Public Safety: Albert Ross
Albert was born and raised in South Chicago Heights. He has been a South Chicago Heights Fireman for 48 years. He joined the South Chicago Heights Volunteer Fire Department in 1961 and remained a volunteer firefighter until he was appointed to Fire Chief in 2000. In 1965, Albert was appointed to the Chicago Heights Fire Department as a full-time fireman. During his years of service as a Fireman, Albert climbed the ranks from Lieutenant, Captain and then Fire Inspector. Albert retired as Assistant Fire Chief from the Chicago Heights Fire Department after 32 years of service. Albert has been married for 44 years and has 4 daughters, 4 granddaughters and 1 grandson.
To contact the Public Safety Directory, you can email him at aross@southchicagoheights.com.