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WILMETTE, IL. — After 25 years with the Village of Wilmette, including 11 as Director of Engineering & Public Works, Brigitte Berger-Raish has announced her retirement from the Village of Wilmette.
Ms. Berger-Raish’s last day as Director will be March 9, 2026.
“Brigitte is our rock star and her retirement, while well-deserved, is a huge loss for the community,” said Village Manager Mike Braiman. “Brigitte has had an outsized impact on the quality of life for all those who live in Wilmette, leading generational infrastructure projects, ensuring the highest levels of customer service, and serving as an inspirational leader to the EPW team. We wish her the best in her retirement.”
Berger-Raish started her career in local government with the Village of Barrington, serving as their Village Civil Engineer then promoted to Assistant Director of Public Works. In 2001, Ms. Berger-Raish was hired by the Village of Wilmette as Village Engineer where she was responsible for overseeing the Village’s water plant, which produces safe and reliable drinking water for more 100,000 customers, and infrastructure planning and improvements, including roads, alleys, brick streets, water mains, and sewer mains. In 2014, Ms. Berger-Raish was promoted to Director of Engineering & Public Works. In this role, she led a team of 45 employees across numerous divisions including engineering, facilities, vehicle maintenance, sewer and water, and streets. Ms. Berger-Raish was recognized as a Top Ten Public Works Leader of the Year in 2021, the highest honor from the American Public Works Association.
Under Ms. Berger-Raish’s leadership, numerous, impactful projects were completed including the reconstruction of Sheridan Road, the Central Avenue and Downtown Streetscape Project, development of the Edens Pollinator Corridor, and restoration of Elmwood Dunes. Ms. Berger-Raish led several critical sewer projects which have transformed the quality of life for residents west of Ridge Road by significantly reducing flooding from rain events. These projects include the West Park Sanitary Storage Reservoir and Pump Station project and the $64 million Neighborhood Stormwater Storage project (NSP) which was the largest capital improvement project in the Village’s history. The NSP, which took 10 years to complete, received seven state and national awards, including the 2023 American Public Works Association Project of the Year.
“Wilmette is an incredibly special community, and it will always own a piece of my heart. I want to extend my sincerest thanks to the businesses and residents, Village Boards and Commissions, management teams, other Village departments who have supported our mission over the years. Over 30 years ago I chose a career in public service so I could have a meaningful impact on people’s lives. Fast forward to today, I’m extremely proud of the critical infrastructure projects and public services that we’ve delivered. None of this would have been possible without the exceptional team of engineering and public works professionals who come to work every day committed to excellence. They are the true heroes of public service, and I look forward to cheering on the department’s continued success in the years ahead.”
Ms. Berger-Raish will be recognized for her service by the Village Board of Trustees at their February 10, 2026 meeting.
For more information on the Village of Wilmette, visit wilmette.gov
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