It is with mixed emotions that DeKalb Mayor Kris Povlsen steps down from his position after a little more than one term.

Povlsen has a history with the DeKalb area, growing up in Sycamore and graduating from Sycamore High School. He received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Drake University. After some time in the corporate world, Povlsen returned to DeKalb from North Dakota to receive his master’s degree in counselor education from NIU.

“I always liked studying people,” he said. “Social interaction, human behavior, human relations–I realized the corporate world was not for me, but it gave me significant business background people don’t usually have.”

After receiving his master’s degree, Povlsen spent 35 years helping people–in psychiatric hospitals, counseling centers, special education schools and the Ben Gordon Center in DeKalb. Along with this experience and running a home video creation business with his wife, Jenine, for many years, Povlsen also taught psychology at Kishwaukee College for 21 years. In 1997, he stopped teaching and ran for alderman.

“I had never been in City Hall, didn’t know how things worked,” he said. “I wanted to get involved in something different, involved in a field I had no experience in before. I ran against four others with commissions, who were ingrained in City Hall, and I won.”

Povlsen said he thinks his involvement in the community was what helped him win.

“I worked with schools, police, churches, businesses, youth, neighborhoods, social service agencies–you name it,” he said. “This connected me with all aspects of the community. The name recognition and work that I’d done got me elected. Along with the video business and teaching and growing up in Sycamore, I knew everybody and everybody knew me.”

Povlsen said his experience as second ward alderman was eye-opening.

“I think people have very little idea as to the complexity of city government,” he said. “I think that’s good. They shouldn’t have to worry about having to shovel the sidewalks, or be concerned about the city’s finances.”

Second ward alderman Tom Teresinski became acquainted with Povlsen when he served on City Council and Teresinski lived in his ward, before serving with him as an alderman himself.

“I served for five years with him in a very difficult economy,” Teresinski said. “I always appreciated his open style, his open approach. All council members were always able to voice their opinion openly. A lot has been accomplished in his time here.”

Povlsen served as alderman for 11 years under Mayor Frank Van Buer. On July 23, 2008, at age 74, Van Buer died of pancreatic cancer. Povlsen was appointed as mayor for the rest of Van Buer’s term, about eight months. After serving the rest of the term, Povlsen ran for mayor and won.

“Being mayor is very different from being an alderman,” Povlsen said. “As mayor, there’s more demand, more involvement in the whole community. As alderman, you only have to worry about the constituents in your own ward.”

Povlsen said he decided to run for mayor because he knew he would retire from the Ben Gordon Center in a couple of months.

“I became much more involved in the community,” he said. “I connected with many more people, businesses and the university. I enjoy that interaction and those opportunities. I have opportunities to get involved with issues and meet people.”

During Povlsen’s term, he strove to keep Van Buer’s vision of a revitalized downtown area alive. Along with this, Povlsen is also proud of the smoking ban in DeKalb, which was put in place before the state’s ban.

Povlsen said his two most rewarding experiences as mayor have been implementing the smoking ban and the creation of the Safe and Quality Housing Bureau.

“I’m very proud of our Safe and Quality Housing Bureau,” he said. “It addresses issues with housing and crime. It’s a new bureau, and I think we can see a very positive change in our community with regard to our housing stock and crime rates. We should see a reduction in crime, better quality of residents and landlords, better screening of tenants, and a better handle on ‘visitors’ who don’t care about our town. We want to make it tougher on them to break the law.”

Along with the bureau and the smoking ban, Povlsen is proud of the new police station, the improved relationship between DeKalb and NIU and DeKalb’s financial situation.

“I feel very positive about the direction I’m leaving the city,” he said. “Financially, in the last five years I’ve been in office, we’ve gone from virtually no cash in the city’s reserve, and now we have $5 million.”

To improve the financial situation, Povlsen said he hired a consultant to come in and reorganize the structure of DeKalb’s city government to be more financially effective. This was done by eliminating 20 percent of the staff and reducing retiree benefits.

“I think he is a very concerned individual for the city,” said seventh ward alderman Monica O’Leary. “He is conscientious of how we spend taxpayer’s money. He is the nucleus of the whole city, and he will be greatly missed. I’ve only worked with him for two years, but I think he is a great person.”

In September, he announced his plan to retire.

“I’m 65 years old, I’m ready to retire,” he said. “I have grandchildren and my health to worry about. My wife and I still have our youth and vitality, and we want to enjoy that. It’s time for me to move on and find other ways to be involved. Wherever I am, I always see myself being active as a volunteer. I want to be connected to the community but not in charge.”

Povlsen said he hopes to see parts of the country he hasn’t been to before. He and his wife have plane tickets to Texas to see the site of the Battle of the Alamo, and they plan to spend time at their home in Kenosha County, Wis., which Povlsen has owned since 1973. Povlsen also plans to continue his tradition of traveling to Naples, Fla., during the winter, as he’s done since 1967.

Along with traveling, Povlsen plans to spend more time with his grandchildren, exercise more and spend more time fishing and boating.

Povlsen has his own expectations for DeKalb’s new mayor.

“I hope to see the new mayor is progressive in thinking and understands the role and importance of government in community development,” he said. “I hope they understand the importance of collaboration with all entities in a community, from businesses to churches to neighborhoods, all constituency groups. We’re not on islands here, unfortunately. The new mayor needs to understand the importance of the role that government plays and how it enhances the quality of life.”

Fourth ward alderman Brendon Gallagher also appreciated Povlsen’s openness.

“Some things Mayor Povlsen and I didn’t see eye-to-eye on,” Gallagher said. “But in the end, we always came to a compromise so that the city was first and foremost, and he always made sure to do that. I think he leaves DeKalb better than he found it four years ago.”

Povlsen said a community is like a business, and the community needs to invest.

“To see a return on our investment, we need a business climate that is friendly, progressive and attentive, or it will die away and go somewhere else,” he said.

Povlsen is leaving office with many memories and experiences.

“It’s with mixed emotions that I leave,” he said. “I didn’t leave the business world with melancholy, but I’m leaving here with melancholy. I’m excited to advance, but I’m going to miss the connections and the day-to-day involvement.”

Povlsen gives a final bit of advice for the new mayor.

“Keep an open mind,” he said. “Be true to your beliefs, and don’t ever be swayed by criticism, control, loss of friends, whatever it may be. I’m proud to say I’ve never made a decision based on these factors. I’ve been criticized, I’ve lost friends, but I’m the one who counts as far as what I do and why.”