Executive Director Jim Page Leaves ILEAS

ILEAS Director Jim Page's last day with ILEAS was December 9, 2022.  Starting December 12th, he will be the Chair of the Illinois Terrorism Task Force.  Last week se sent out the following message to the ILEAS membership:

 

"Chiefs, Sheriffs, Commanders:

This is an email that I was not looking forward to sending.  The word has been out for some time, but I need to make it official.  The Governor’s Homeland Security Advisor, Alicia Tate-Nadeau, offered me the full-time job as Chair of the Illinois Terrorism Task Force and I have accepted.  This means I will be resigning from ILEAS and turning the reins over to our current Chief of Staff, Larry Evans.  Larry has been with ILEAS since its beginning as a Regional Board Chair, Governing Board member/secretary/president and Chief of Staff for 7 years. He knows ILEAS as well as anyone. I am sure that you will show him the same confidence and support that you all have shown me over these last 18 years. 

It was a difficult decision for me because I love my ILEAS family.  I am very proud of the 29 years I spent wearing a badge and carrying a gun with Urbana PD.  My sworn career was overall pretty good.  Like many of you, I was a patrol officer, sergeant, lieutenant, patrol/services/investigations division/SWAT commander and deputy chief. However, the 18 years with ILEAS have been the very best. I have gotten to work with the best that law enforcement has to offer in Illinois – “All-World Folks” as our Special Teams Manager Skip Frost likes to say.    The sheriffs, chiefs, commanders, special team leaders, etc. have all been great!

I do want to take a moment to recognize the ILEAS staff.  I have been blessed with the best staff, partners really, that any leader can possible hope for.  They made ILEAS what it is today.  The personal relationships that have been built in the LE and public safety community, the professionalism, the experience, the skill sets, integrity and enthusiasm have all worked together to make ILEAS the well-respected organization that it is.  The work that the RPCs do in the field, the training we put on at the Training Center, the experts in comunications and our unassailable finance work make us a VERY well-respected organization in not only the State of Illinois, but nationally. 

I am not going far.  Actually, my new office is going to be down the hall from my current digs. I will still be around for about a year or so as I work to get ITTF ready for the next decade of challenges.  My last day with ILEAS will be December 11, 2022.  The new contract is for one year as the ITTF Chair - a job I have been doing as the Acting Chair since May.   At the end of that year, I will have put in 48 years in public safety.  After that,,,,,, retirement. 

Additionally, our Governing Board President, Fox Lake Valley Park District PD Chief Dave Summer retired in September.  Mahomet PD Chief and ILEAS Governing Board Vice-President Mike Metzler will fill his duties for the remainder of Dave’s term.  The Governing Board election process starts in January of 2023.  New Board, new officers. new Director, – the only thing that stays the same is change.  However, I am not worried about ILEAS’s future; because we have all worked together to lay a solid foundation for the future. 

Lastly, I appreciate all of you.  Police executives in Illinois are currently weathering a lot change and stresses.  However, keep in mind that law enforcement is still, and always has been, an honorable profession of which you can be proud!

As always, if you ever need anything, do not hesitate to reach out to me or to ILEAS!

Respectfully,

James R Page"