Michael W. Lackman was named Friday as Cape Gir-ardeau's fire chief.

Lackman replaces Dan White, who resigned in April to take a position in Bentonville, Ark. Assistant fire chief Mark Hasheider has been acting chief since he left.

The new chief's annual salary will be $62,500. He starts the job in early September.

Lackman spent 26 years with the Elk Grove Village, Ill., Fire Department, where he has been assistant fire chief since 1993. Elk Grove Village is a Chicago suburb.

Contacted Friday, Elk Grove Village city manager Gary Parrin said Lackman is a solid firefighter and he's sorry to see him leave.

"He's a valued employee," Parrin said. "He's highly trained and has worked his way up through the ranks."

Lackman holds a bachelor's degree in fire science management from Southern Illinois University and is a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer program of the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Md.

Lackman said at a news conference at City Hall to announce his hiring that his primary responsibility at Elk Grove Village was in the area of hazardous-materials response.

Elk Grove Village has the nation's largest industrial park, he said. His experience with chemical fires should come in handy in the battle against methamphetamine in Southeast Missouri, he said.