Legacy of Service
Service & Impact
A Life of Service
First elected Zion Township Supervisor: 2001
A Life of Service
If you’d told me while I was growing up just six miles southwest of Zion in Wadsworth, Illinois, that my life’s work would someday center around serving the people of Zion, I never would have believed you.
But oh, how blessed and grateful I am that it has.
First elected as Zion Township Supervisor in 2001, I’ve now dedicated nearly half my life to working alongside an incredible team, community partners and residents to make the community we love better and better every day.
The work begins with helping people through some of life’s most difficult moments, connecting residents with resources, support and opportunities to help them move forward.
But I’ve always believed public service needs to go beyond the basic job description.
Doing what’s expected is the least we can do.
I want us to keep asking: What is the most we can do?
Over the years, that question has led us into places I never could have imagined when I first became Supervisor.
We’ve created programs, built partnerships, tried new ideas and brought people together around needs and opportunities throughout our community.
And almost none of it happened because one person had all the answers.
It happened because people brought their ideas, talents, relationships and willingness to help. And together, we figured out what we could do.
Service & Impact
Some of What We’ve Created Together
Choose an area to explore the programs.
2001
First elected Zion Township Supervisor
1,000+
young people gained work experience through the Summer Work Program
100+
emerging community leaders through the Leadership Academy
60+
volunteers supporting the Zinnia & Monarch Festival
Created in partnership with Katrina Wiltse of Zion Elementary District 6, giving elementary students opportunities to discover their voices, ideas and ability to make a difference.
In partnership with the Job Center of Lake County and the Zion Park District, more than 1,000 young people have gained work experience while learning responsibility, teamwork and the value of contributing to their community.
Under the guidance of the ZB Coalition for Healthy Communities, working collaboratively to develop and connect over 100 emerging community leaders.
Connecting older adults and their families with information, resources and support.
Creating friendship, laughter, adventure and belonging for women in our community.
Creating connection, activities and community for Spanish-speaking older adults.
Bringing people together to identify and address accessibility barriers throughout our community.
Bringing residents together around a simple idea: small acts can create big impact.
In partnership with a team of Lake County social service agency representatives and Community 365, creating a day designed to infuse some much-needed joy into the doldrums of winter. The Summit brings people from throughout Lake County to Zion to learn, connect and grow, while giving people who may not otherwise visit our community a reason to come here, experience Zion for themselves and see it differently.
Initiating the effort to make the zinnia Zion’s official flower and working toward establishing Zion, Illinois as the Zinnia Capital, while also helping Zion become a Monarch City USA. Working alongside an amazing team of volunteers to grow and plant zinnias, install murals and create other projects designed to add beauty, creativity and pride throughout Zion.
Initiating a community celebration built around monarchs, nature, creativity, education and connection. In six years, the event has grown from 50 attendees to thousands, supported by a team of more than 60 volunteers.
Leading the effort to bring a beloved piece of Zion’s history (and community gathering place) back to life through partnerships, community involvement and shared resources.
How We’ve Done More With Less
Zion Township has been described as the township that delivers “caviar services on a bologna sandwich budget.” I love that description. One of the ways we’ve made our dollars go further is by asking early on who shares our goal and what each of us can bring to the table.
Our Summer Work Program is a great example. By partnering with the Job Center of Lake County and the Zion Park District, we’ve given more than 1,000 young people the chance to earn a paycheck, build work skills, and gain confidence right here in Zion.
We’ve taken the same approach to beautifying our community. Local taxing bodies, nonprofits, volunteers, and donors helped us fill Zion with zinnias and put on a festival at a fraction of what similar events can cost. We’ve also brought people together to create three murals and rebuild Esther’s Well. Those are projects people can point to and say, “I helped make that happen.”
As Mayor, I’d bring that same approach to City Hall. I’d look at what the City already has, bring in partners early, and give residents a real role in shaping the projects that matter to them. That’s how we can stretch taxpayer dollars and give more people a stake in Zion’s future.
Different programs. Different people. Different needs.
But there’s a common thread running through all of them:
Bring people together. Help them discover what’s possible. Give them opportunities to contribute. And create something better, together.