Deputy County Administrator Jim Hawkins, a key player in the Lake County 911 consolidation efforts, will be leaving county government to become Northbrook’s deputy village manager. Hawkins joined the county in September 2018 as project manager for the Regional 911 Consolidation Planning Project, and accepted a permanent position in August 2019. He brought with him 27 years of experience in the U.S. Navy, retiring as the commanding officer of Naval Station Great Lakes. During Tuesday’s Lake County Board meeting, Hawkins received a proclamation read by Vice Chair Mary Ross Cunningham, who praised his work ethic and professionalism. “Jim was always keeping up to date,” she said. “He always called me to let me know what was going on. He was tireless. He was a person you could work with. I always had a lot of respect for him.” According to the proclamation, Hawkin’s policy work provided “important guidance and direction” during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also started the Department of Defense Skillbridge internship program, to date helping transition 11 service members into civilian careers. He proved “invaluable” in the establishment of the Lake Consolidated Emergency Communications, it said. Board Member Kevin Hunter, District 5, recalled the uncertainty many felt when Hawkins first described the plans for the consolidation. “There were a lot of naysayers in that room thinking, ‘How is he going to pull this off?’ You pulled it off Jim, thank you,” Hunter said. For his part, Hawkins said he was grateful for the work of county staff and officials throughout his tenure. It was simply “time to move on,” and municipal government provided an interesting world to learn about, he said. “It’s been an honor to serve the county,” he said. “I appreciate the kind words, but there’s a lot of people doing a lot of great work. I appreciate the opportunity and look forward to the next.”