Chief T.E. Sashko (retired) is a Vice President with GovHRUSA and is a 38-year veteran of the fire service. He began serving in the fire service as a paid-on-call firefighter/paramedic with the Village of Buffalo Grove, IL in 1979, retiring as the Chief in 2007. He was then selected to serve as the Fire Chief in the Village of Mundelein, IL from 2007 until April 30, 2015. He also served as the Emergency Management Coordinator for both municipalities while fire chief. Chief T.E. Sashko served as the Executive Director for the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association from 2015 until 2017. He has been a member of the Lake County Board of Health since 2003 and was honored to be elected as the President in November of 2013 and continues to function in that role. The Lake County Health Department is a $85 million/year health care and prevention provider employing over 900+ personnel in Lake County, IL. During his tenure with the Board of Health he has served on the Environmental Health Advisory Committee, the Budget Committee and the Executive Committee, and represents the Lake County Health Department on the United Way of Lake County 2-1-1 Implementation Task Force, the Lake County Mental Health Coalition and supporting member for the Lake County Veterans and Family Services Foundation.
He is a Board Member for Operation North Pole, a 501(c)3 charity providing special programs to children suffering from cancer and other life-threatening diseases as well as other outreach programs. He is a former member of the Greater Chicago Red Cross Heroes Program (2004 – 2015), which honors everyday heroes each year in the Chicagoland area who have made a difference in the lives of others. He was the former chair of the Blood Donation Committee for the Village of Mundelein working with LifeSource Blood Services and was honored by the Illinois Association of Blood Banks for continued efforts and innovation raising the awareness for blood donors in 2014. He also received the International Humanitarian Award from ADRP – International Division of ABC for 2019. In 2019 he was asked to be an Advisory Board Member for W.S. Darley Corporation headquartered in Itasca, IL. Founded in 1908 the corporation is a leading military defense contractor for the Department of Defense and firefighting equipment supplier internationally.
He has held numerous executive officer positions including President of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association, President of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association, President of the Lake County Fire Chief’s Association and Chairman of the Lake and McHenry Counties Specialized Response Teams as well as being the Chair of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Foundation Fund Raising Committee. Chief Sashko was recognized by the Illinois Fire Chief’s Association as the “Chief of the Year” for 2006 and was also a nominee for the Chief of the Year for the International Fire Chiefs Association in that same year. He also was recognized as the Alumni of the Year from Buffalo Grove High School in 2002 and Firefighter of the Year award from the Grayslake, Mundelein, and Libertyville Exchange Club of America in 2011. He currently serves on the United Way of Lake County 2-1-1 Advisory Board as well as the Disaster Planning Committee as the Chair and supporting member of the Sustainability Committee. The launch of this critical support comprehensive source of locally curated social services occurred in 2019 in Lake County, IL providing critical access to a vast array of private and public services.
Chief Sashko has an extensive background in labor relations and has negotiated numerous contracts successfully. Through his responsibilities and focus on the future of the fire service and public safety, he has been active in legislation development, management, negotiations and representation at the local, county, state and federal levels both in public safety and public health. Throughout the past 10+ years he has been active in providing a balance and professional approach to critical issues governed within Illinois. He was instrumental in creating succession plans for both municipalities he has served to provide the necessary guidance and direction for the development of personnel. He broadened initiatives that provided fiscal balance, while maintaining high-level service profiles within the communities he served. During his career, he has coordinated various strategic plans and operational plans as well as employee performance rating systems for current performance and predictive performance for personnel.
Chief Sashko was one of the originators of the now successful Lake/Cook Critical Incident Protocol promoting public and private partnerships in planning and preparedness for emergency management coordinated by Michigan State University. He also chaired a regional training facility (Combined Area Fire Training) shared between four governmental agencies, expanding the footprint of opportunities and programs for professional and public fire service and disaster response training and education. Community outreach and engagement were two predominant areas of focus throughout much of his leadership career.
Chief Sashko holds a management degree from Southern Illinois University with honors, numerous state certifications and is a state certified Fire Officer III in Illinois.
Professional Education, Training and Instruction
- Bachelor’s degree in Management, Southern Illinois University
Memberships and Affiliations
- President, Lake County Board of Health
- Board Member for Operation North Pole
- Greater Chicago Red Cross Heroes Program
- Fire Advisory Board Member – W.S. Darley Corporation
- United Way of Lake County – 2-1-1 Advisory Board Member
- United Way of Lake County – 2-1-1 Disaster Planning Committee Chair
- Former President of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association
- Former President of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association
- Former President of the Lake County Fire Chief’s Association
- Former Chairman of the Lake and McHenry Counties Specialized Response Teams
- Former Chair of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Foundation Fund Raising Committee
- Former Director of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association
- Former Area Representative of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association
- Former Committee Member, Trauma Region X
- Former Founder and President of the Buffalo Grove Exchange Club
- Former member of the Libertyville, Vernon Hills, Mundelein Exchange Club
Awards
- Illinois Association of Blood Banks
- Chief of the Year, Illinois Fire Chief’s Association
- Alumni of the Year from Buffalo Grove High School
- ADRP International Division of ABC – 2019 International Humanitarian Award
Local Government Professional Background
- IChiefs Solutions, Mundelein, IL, 2017-Present
- Lake County Board of Health, 2003-Present
- Executive Director, Illinois Fire Chiefs Association, 2015-2017
- Director, Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association, 2014-2015
- Fire Chief/EMA Coordinator, Mundelein, IL, 2007-2015
- Fire Chief/EMA Coordinator, Buffalo Grove, IL, 1979-2007
