Cook County Forest Preserve District
Welcomes New Superintendent

Steven M. Bylina, Jr., former deputy commissioner of the City of Chicago's Bureau of Forestry, took over the helm of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County in August. Bylina, 53, was appointed to the general superintendent position by Cook County Board President John Stroger. In his previous position, Bylina was responsible for Chicago's response to the invasion of the Asian longhorned beetle.

Bylina seems excited and hopeful about the opportunities ahead. "I welcome input from various sources, and will probably be reaching out more often than you would suspect," Bylina said, "....relative to what [people] would like to see occur here within our 'jewel.' I truly believe that this precious natural resource has got to be managed and cared for, and the only way we're going to do that is by working together...without putting up roadblocks to one another."

Bylina has a bachelor's degree in forestry from Southern Illinois University, a master's degree in public administration from DePaul University, and a doctorate in public administration from Nova Southeastern University. He is also a certified arborist.

—Karen Tornberg