Chicago Park District General Supt. and Chief Executive Officer Rosa Escareño announced her resignation Wednesday.

In a statement, Escareño wrote that she tendered her resignation to Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners Wednesday after having accomplished the goals she had set for the park district, and after more than 35 years in public service.

"My decision to leave at this time was done with much care and consideration for my District team colleagues and with the utmost regard for the Chicagoans whom I vowed to serve and support, especially the youth, families and seniors who rely on us daily," Escareño said.

Escareño noted that she had worked under five mayoral administrations — those of mayors Eugene Sawyer, Richard M. Daley, Rahm Emanuel, Lori Lightfoot, and Brandon Johnson. She served four years as the city's Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection immediately before taking over at the Park District.

Escareño was appointed interim Park District CEO in October 2021, and was appointed to the post permanently in May 2022. Her initial appointment on an interim basis followed the ouster of longtime CEO and general superintendent Mike Kelly in the wake of a high-profile sexual abuse scandal involving Park District lifeguards.

Weeks after Escareño took office, the Chicago Park District fired three senior managers following the release of two reports that detailed sexual assaults among Park District lifeguards at district beaches and pools — and claimed Kelly took no action until six months after he had received a complaint about abuse.

The reports detailed scathing accusations of everything from sexual harassment to bullying among Chicago lifeguards. One woman called it a "culture" of violence and claimed there was a "code of silence."

Escareño noted in her statement that Mayor Lightfoot asked her to step in at the Park District to address "the grave and trust-shattering incidences of sexual harassment and misconduct by District staff, some of whom were minors, and to address management's mishandling while also leading the revitalization and restoration of all park programs coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic."

Escareño wrote that in her time at the helm of the Park District she was proud to have established critical safeguards to protect employees and parkgoers from being harassed or victimized. She also said the Park District had been restored and revitalized after the heights of the pandemic.

"Importantly, during my tenure I prioritized a strong alignment not just with Mayor Johnson's priorities to invest in youth opportunities, but also with his administration's efforts to provide emergency temporary shelter for hundreds of migrants at our park fieldhouses," Escareño wrote.

Escareño thanked residents for their "support, input, and guidance" over the past three years. Her statement did not give a reason for her resignation, nor did it specify any future role she might be assuming elsewhere.

Mayor Johnson issued this statement on Escareño's departure:

"I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Superintendent Escareño. A lifelong public servant and someone who truly believes that public parks should be for the people of Chicago, Rosa has done a tremendous job of expanding opportunities for young people in our Park District and modernizing our city's parks. Her work around sustainability, digital connectivity, and park amenities has touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans, particularly our young people. Her vision, outlined in the District's strategic plan, will set a solid foundation for the next generation of leadership to continue to build an inclusive Park District that all of the residents of Chicago can enjoy for generations to come."

Other top city officials have also stepped down this month

Earlier this month, three other top Chicago officials stepped down — days after Mayor Johnson warned of City Hall firings.

Johnson's office announced Thursday, Feb. 13, that Aviation Commissioner Jamie Rhee will be retiring on April 15, while Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) Executive Director Jose Tirado "will be transitioning out of his position," without providing a specific departure date.

Meantime, Civilian Office of Police Accountability Chief Administrator Andrea Kersten also announced her resignation the day before.

Rhee, who was appointed to her post in 2018 by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, oversaw the city's airports, and was leading an $8.5 billion renovation of O'Hare International Airport, including the addition of a new Global Germinal to replace the existing Terminal 2.

Johnson appointed Tirado as head of OEMC after taking office in 2023. Prior to that, he'd served as the agency's top deputy. He'd also spent more than 23 years with the Chicago Police Department before joining OEMC in 2022, rising to chief of the counterterrorism bureau.

Tirado had submitted his resignation earlier this year, and is moving to the Cook County State's Attorney's office.

But days before the resignations, Johnson had warned that he would be firing some top city leaders while speaking at a "Faith in Government" initiative at a South Side church, where he told the audience he wished he "would have cleaned house faster" after taking office in 2023.