Our progress on important matters has been slowed by a distracted agenda that has failed to prioritize safety, lacked a coherent community development vision, micromanaged village staff, ignored community concerns, and stripped away services many value.

2024 was marked by the Village’s efforts, supported by the community, to rehouse 200 migrants. Because these vulnerable individuals arrived without notice or a plan, Village staff were consumed by addressing their needs for six months. We strung together emergencies and created an inefficient and inequitable village-led response against staff’s recommendation. This left us with that much less time to deal with our essential functions and board goals. With a lack of prioritization, leadership, and direction we failed to address all the other issues we face as a community.

As a result, we have endured long, unproductive board meetings but yet have no CFO, no racial equity assessment, no economic vitality plan, no long-term financial plan, and our unhoused population has grown. We have no new police facility in sight, and our police department is 30% understaffed.  We the Village Board gave ourselves a raise so that we are now the highest paid elected village board in the region and are pursuing a $150 million municipal campus instead of prioritizing the much needed police station.

When the COVID lockdown happened, I wasted no time addressing the crisis about to befall our restaurant community and innovated to create Takeout 25. This effort resulted in the survival of our restaurants without the use of tax dollars. Takeout 25 NFP has continued to address post-pandemic economic recovery, sustainability, and food insecurity. I believe Oak Park needs this same innovative and focused leadership to address the real problems this community faces.

Community Safety:
The decision to link the essential police facility with an unnecessary $150 million Civic Center project has delayed the construction of a new police facility by more than 24 months so far, impeding our ability to fill a gaping 30% shortage of police officers in our police department and to maintain community safety. During this prolonged debate, construction costs have increased, and we have wasted half a million dollars on the decision with no progress. We must unlink the established need to build a police facility from discussions about Village Hall. The Board needs to focus its time and effort on constructing a new police facility that reflects our community’s values and helps fill our staffing gap with individuals who represent those values.

Effective Use of Tax Dollars:
We pay high taxes and reasonably expect good services in return. Unfortunately, this year, we overhauled leaf collection, replacing it with a less sustainable, more costly, and inequitable system – one that disproportionally and negatively impacts seniors and those with disabilities.  Meanwhile, staff and financial resources were redirected to support migrant services without adequately addressing local homelessness and pan handling, which continues to impact our business districts and parks. In a last minute move this year we’ve set aside $1 million in tax dollars toward the acquisition and/or rehabilitation of Percy Julian’s home, a private home that is going on tax sale. This was done without transparency to the community, adequate discussion at the board table, nor the kind of cogent planning that would make this kind of an endeavor successful.

Economic Development:
Any success in our business community has happened in spite of the Village’s lack of a coherent vision for community development.  In 2023, we dissolved the Oak Park Economic Development Corporation (OPEDC) without a plan for economic development. Two years later, we still do not have a plan, a vision, or the tools to promote local growth and business vitality.  Consequently, we’ve struggled to attract any new investments to our community.  This will impact our community for years to come.

Equity and Inclusion:
Oak Park remains a welcoming community for diverse families, but rising taxes are impacting our economic diversity, making it harder for middle income households and seniors to stay. While equity initiatives have been passionately discussed and pursued, we haven’t reduced socioeconomic disparities or made any positive impact on our residents’ lives. Compounding these challenges, our racial equity impact assessment has been delayed due to diverted staff focus. We have heard a lot of talk with very little action.

Sustainability:
We have made some progress on our ambitious 2030 emission reduction goals included in our Climate Ready Oak Park (CROP) Plan, but we need to stay focused before federal funding runs out.  Achieving our goals will be more important and at the same time challenging under the incoming federal administration.

Are We On the Right Track?
No. I believe Oak Park residents deserve leadership with a clear vision and focused on issues most important to the community. This is why I’m running for Oak Park Village President.  I want to bring a focused, results-oriented approach to the issues that will improve the lives of all Oak Parkers.

My focus for the next 4 years will include:

·  Attract half a billion dollars in private investments to strengthen our economy and build our future

·  Make living and doing business in Oak Park easier, equitable, and sustainable

·  Implement the Berry Dunn police reforms, including building a reasonably priced police facility and addressing the staffing gap

·  Implement the Vision Zero plan to improve pedestrian and bike safety

·  Protect the socio-economic diversity of Oak Park through prudent use of tax dollars

·   Strengthen community bonds and vitality through art, architecture, music, events, entertainment, and tourism

This is a journey we must undertake together. With innovation, focused leadership and your support, the hardworking Village Board can move off the hamster wheel and bring about the change our community needs to pursue a shared vision. We could accomplish so much more. Let’s get it done – together.

Good governance is more than a concept—it is a commitment to excellence, accountability, and service. This is particularly important for the Oak Park Village Board, where decisions directly impact the lives of every resident.

As a candidate for Village President, I want to share my thoughts and the governance practices I have developed over my 25 year career and in my time providing community service. These practices emphasize my values: integrity, transparency, accountability, competency, collaboration, diversity, and effective oversight. Applied consistently, they enable the progress we seek.

Transparency is foundational to trust and effective governance. During my tenure as a Village Trustee, I have prioritized open communication with the community, sharing the rationale behind my decisions and key votes through personal conversations, articles in the Wednesday Journal and on social media. By openly explaining these choices, I have sought to ensure that residents understand not only my goals but also the decision-making process.

Accountability means being answerable for actions and decisions—a responsibility I embrace by actively and consistently seeking community feedback. I also believe that when there are issues that widely, directly, and substantially impact the community, residents deserve a direct voice. Recent examples are the decision to spend $150 million on Village Hall redevelopment and the change to leaf bagging.  I support the public referendum process, not because the Village Board does not have the authority to make these decisions, but because it is more important to ensure community support for a decision of this magnitude and permanence.

Competence and Oversight A well-governed Village Board requires both competent leadership and effective oversight. My experience in business, nonprofit management, and consulting has equipped me with the skills to analyze complex issues and understand the financial and human impact of decisions. Over my 25-year career leading teams and collaborating with others, I have learned the importance of providing clear strategic direction, maintaining focus, and ensuring effective oversight. By avoiding distractions and long meetings without measurable progress, the board remains focused on the important goals where real impact can be made, maximizing efficiency without demands for higher board pay.

Diversity Diverse perspectives enrich decision-making and lead to more inclusive outcomes. I am committed to fostering board dialogue that reflects the community’s needs by actively seeking input from citizens with varied experiences and perspectives. By embracing varied viewpoints, we can address the needs of all residents and create innovative solutions for complex challenges.

Community Collaboration Mobilizing and energizing the community to collaborate on shared goals is essential to addressing local priorities. This will ensure that the majority of the community feels empowered to embrace and create change.  My initiative, Takeout 25, is a practical example of this philosophy in action that brought community members together to help local small businesses through a crisis and its aftermath.

Clear Roles and Responsibilities Good governance thrives when roles are clearly defined. The Village Board’s strategic policy-making and fiduciary role, management’s operational responsibilities, and commissions’ advisory functions must all be distinct yet aligned. As Village President, I will ensure clarity of roles and foster cooperation without micromanaging village staff and thus deliver meaningful results for our community.

As Village President, I will build on my record of transparent communication and effective leadership. Together, we can ensure that the Oak Park Village Board operates at the highest standards of governance, serving as a model for focused, effective and inclusive leadership.