Chris Cronkhite
Volo
Summary
Seasoned facilities maintenance leader with 20 years of experience managing multi-disciplinary teams and large-scale budgets. Proven expertise in facility operations, renovation project management, and vendor relations. Adept at optimizing resources, ensuring safety compliance, and driving continuous improvement. Seeking senior maintenance or facilities management roles to leverage strong leadership and technical skills for organizational excellence.
Overview
23
23
years of professional experience
4
4
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification
Work History
Superintendent of Trades
PALATINE PARK DISTRICT
Palatine
01.2025 - Current
- Provided leadership, direction, and training to a team of trades personnel, including carpenters, electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, and maintenance workers.
- Directed daily, cyclical, and routine duties and projects related to trades and fleet maintenance divisions.
- Established clear expectations, goals, and performance standards for the trades team, conducting regular evaluations and coaching sessions.
- Fostered a culture of teamwork, collaboration, and accountability among trades staff, promoting open communication and continuous improvement.
- Promoted safety awareness, equipment maintenance, and compliance with occupational health and safety regulations.
- Oversaw planning, scheduling, and execution of maintenance, repair, and renovation projects for all District facilities, buildings, grounds, vehicles, and equipment.
- Coordinated preventive maintenance programs, inspections, and routine servicing to ensure safety and longevity of park assets.
- Responded promptly to maintenance requests, emergencies, and safety concerns, implementing corrective actions to minimize disruptions.
- Maintained accurate records of District facilities, equipment, and inventory, including maintenance histories, warranties, and service contracts.
- Developed and implemented asset management strategies, replacement plans, and lifecycle costing models to optimize resource allocation.
- Conducted regular assessments and condition surveys of park assets, identifying maintenance needs and prioritizing projects.
- Monitored and evaluated District usage for data, energy costs, utility contracts, and field lighting schedules.
- Identified opportunities for single-source procurement and streamlined vendor services to reduce costs.
- Prepared and submitted capital budget needs and billing statements for energy usage.
- Assisted with preparing bid specifications and RFPs for capital projects and planning initiatives.
- Managed contractor performance, quality control, and compliance with contractual obligations and safety regulations.
- Established and maintained positive relationships with contractors, suppliers, regulatory agencies, and community stakeholders.
- Ensured compliance with safety regulations, building codes, and environmental standards in all maintenance and construction activities.
- Conducted safety training, hazard assessments, and emergency response drills for trades staff.
- Implemented risk management strategies, incident reporting protocols, and corrective actions to mitigate liabilities.
- Served as a member of the administrative leadership team to assist in district-wide visioning, planning, and policy development.
Superintendent of Facilities Maintenance
Mundelein Park and Recreation District
Mundelein
03.2021 - 01.2025
- Planned, organized, and supervised maintenance and repairs performed by building and custodial staff.
- Prepared daily, weekly, and monthly work schedules based on Park District standards and long-range plans.
- Managed purchasing of materials, equipment, and general services for facility maintenance.
- Coordinated and supervised work with outside contractors for repairs and improvements.
- Administered the annual budget for building maintenance and capital improvements.
- Recruited, interviewed, hired, trained, and evaluated assigned staff.
- Reviewed employee work hours for accuracy and approved payroll.
- Inspected facilities and work areas to eliminate deficiencies and improve park facilities.
- Coordinated Hazcom standard compliance activities and fire/alarm system inspections and repairs.
- Maintained records of building inspections, repairs, and maintenance.
Facility Manager
School District 157
03.2019 - 01.2021
- Managed Maintenance Team responsibilities, including training, audits, and inspections.
- Oversaw the Maintenance Management System, spare parts inventory, and purchasing.
- Collaborated with board members on new systems, processes, and equipment to improve productivity.
- Provided project management for construction, remodeling, and improvement projects.
- Coached, developed, and managed performance of the Maintenance Team.
- Managed maintenance requests, set-ups, snow removal, lawn care, and cleaning contracts.
- Promoted and enforced safety standards, policies, and procedures.
- Met financial goals by managing the maintenance budget set by the school board.
- Worked with outside contractors on bid negotiations and scheduling for special projects.
- Maintained building systems including electrical, plumbing, HVAC, painting, drywall, and flooring.
Chief Engineer
The Deer Path Inn
08.2016 - 01.2021
- Performed general repairs on plumbing, electrical, HVAC, carpentry, drywall, painting, and computer systems.
- Assisted administration with ongoing preventive maintenance of equipment and guest rooms.
- Scheduled and oversaw third-party vendors and contractors for facility repairs and upgrades.
Facilities Supervisor
Lake Forest Winter Club
Lake Forest
01.2015 - 01.2016
- Coordinated schedules for 3-4 employees and evaluated their performance daily.
- Diagnosed and resolved a wide range of electrical, carpentry, and plumbing issues.
- Developed relationships with community members by coordinating youth activities at the facility.
- Improved the speed and execution of maintenance task completion.
Maintenance Technician
Deer Valley Apartments
Lake Bluff
07.2013 - 02.2015
- Completed work orders in a professional and timely manner.
- Ordered and inventoried materials and tools on a weekly basis.
- Ensured property grounds were well-kept and clean of debris and garbage.
- Improved maintenance workflow through scheduling coordination and hands-on repairs in HVAC, plumbing, painting, carpentry, and electrical.
Project Manager
North Suburban Home Maintenance
Lake Bluff
11.2002 - 01.2013
- Managed a team of 4-8 employees on a daily basis.
- Assisted CEO with employee and job scheduling, project oversight, and contract negotiations.
- Improved company profitability by decreasing lead time on job estimating process.
- Responsible for material purchasing, inventory, budget, and quality control.
Education
Associate of Applied Science - Construction Management
College of Lake County
Grayslake, IL 09.2021 - 09.2025
Continuing Education - Parks and Recreation
NRPA Maintenance Management School
Wheeling, WVHigh school diploma or GED -
Skills
- Operations management
- Customer service
- Electrical Experience
- Remodeling
- Facilities maintenance management
- Computer skills
- Microsoft Office
- Purchasing
- Landscape Maintenance
- Drywall
- Snow Plowing
- Facilities maintenance
- Maintenance
- Performance Management
- Renovation project management
- Power tools
- Supervising experience
- Project Planning
- Blueprint reading
- Leadership
- Carpentry
- HVAC
- Construction
- Facility management
- Blueprint Reading
- Preventive and corrective maintenance
- Team management
- Plumbing
- Payroll
- Handyman
- Mechanical Knowledge
- Troubleshooting
- Construction Estimating
- Budgeting
- Management
- Employee Evaluation
- Training & development
- Project implementation
- Custodial experience
- Facilities Management
- Accounts payable
- Communication skills
- Low Voltage
- Project planning
- Project management
- Security
- Appliance Repair
- Water treatment
- Vendor compliance and relationship management
- CMMS
- Snow plowing
- Hospitality
Certification
- Excavator Damage Prevention and Pipeline Safety Program, 03/01/25, Present
- Excavator Safety and Pipeline Locate Safety Training, 01/01/25, Present
- Fall Protection and Fall Prevention, 04/01/24, Present
- Fall Protection and Fall prevention Training, 04/01/24, Present
- Confined Space Certification, 04/01/23, Present
- Confined Space Training, 04/01/23, Present
- CPS - IASBO Certified Professional Supervisor, 11/01/19, Present
- EPA Certification Type 1, 01/01/13, Present
- Driver's License
- OSHA 10
- CPO, 03/01/22, 03/01/27
- Certified Pool Operator
- MS4 Stormwater Pollution Prevention Training, 03/01/25, 03/01/26
- Wastewater and Stormwater Prevention Training
Personal Information
Work Permit: Authorized to work in the US for any employer
Timeline
Superintendent of Trades
PALATINE PARK DISTRICT
01.2025 - Current
Associate of Applied Science - Construction Management
College of Lake County
09.2021 - 09.2025
Superintendent of Facilities Maintenance
Mundelein Park and Recreation District
03.2021 - 01.2025
Facility Manager
School District 157
03.2019 - 01.2021
Chief Engineer
The Deer Path Inn
08.2016 - 01.2021
Facilities Supervisor
Lake Forest Winter Club
01.2015 - 01.2016
Maintenance Technician
Deer Valley Apartments
07.2013 - 02.2015
Project Manager
North Suburban Home Maintenance
11.2002 - 01.2013
Continuing Education - Parks and Recreation
NRPA Maintenance Management School