Leadership

Changing of the Guard

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(L to R) New Village Clerk Amy Gayton, Village President Angie Underwood, retiring Village Clerk Heidi Locker-Scheer.

(L to R) New Village Clerk Amy Gayton, Village President Angie Underwood, retiring Village Clerk Heidi Locker-Scheer.

At the Village Board meeting on July 12th we celebrated the retirement of Village Clerk Heidi Locker-Scheer, and welcomed the newest member of our team with the swearing in of Amy Gayton as our incoming Village Clerk. The transition went smoothly and while it was bittersweet to say farewell to such a valued member of the Board, Heidi is moving on to a new position at work and we are happy for her career success. The Village is lucky to have Amy step forward to volunteer at this time; she has previously coordinated the Archer School program for the Historical Society and donates many hours assisting with the festivals and activities of the Historic Downtown Business Association. Amy will serve as clerk for the remainder of the current term, which expires in April of 2017. Welcome, Amy!

When I took office as Village President one of my first duties was to appoint a Village Clerk as no one had run for the open seat in the election. Let’s face it, the clerk job is not terribly glamorous as it can be time consuming and precise, is a non-voting role, and of course lacks a paycheck. I hesitated to ask Heidi to volunteer as she works full-time in downtown Chicago, but knew her civic interest and leadership skills would be a perfect fit. Heidi has done an excellent job over the past three years keeping track of the meeting minutes and carrying out her election duties, leaving behind the legacy of a valuable contribution to our Village. Her faithful support and calm professionalism will be greatly missed by staff and board members alike, and we are thankful for her service over the years to the residents of Long Grove. Best wishes, Heidi!

Birthday Wishes For Some Leading Ladies

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Some of the women attending the recent WINGS celebration: (seated L to R) Cheri Neal, Zion Township Supervisor and current WINGS President, and

Some of the women attending the recent WINGS 30th Birthday celebration: (seated L to R) Cheri Neal, Zion Township Supervisor and current WINGS President, and Evelyn Alexander, Founding Member. (Back row L to R) Cynthia Alexander, Mara Grujanac, Village of Lincolnshire Trustee, Nancy Rotering, City of Highland Park Mayor, Alyssa Knobel, Highland Park Trustee, and Angie Underwood, Village of Long Grove Village President.

This past week marked a milestone in history as Hillary Clinton became the first woman to secure major party support to be placed on the November ballot for President of the United States. Being raised in nearby Park Ridge, Hillary has her roots in Illinois and we do seem to have a heritage of strong women leaders here in our neck of the woods. Today I want to celebrate the birthdays of just a couple of examples.

Having a chat with Barbara Turner

Having a chat with Barbara Turner in December of 2014

All of us in Long Grove are delighted to send our best wishes to Barbara Turner today, June 13, 2016, as she celebrates her 97th birthday! Barbara and her family have been instrumental in preserving and sharing some of our high-quality open spaces and natural areas in the Village, as well as advocating for conservation efforts throughout Lake County. Barbara has been a resident of Long Grove since her youth, and has served the community in many capacities over the years. She is well known to a generation of students as the librarian at Kildeer Countryside School, and was one of the founders of the Long Grove Historical Society, serving as curator and co-authoring a book about our local history. These days Barbara is less able to get out in her beloved nature preserve and battle back the invasive species, but we all know if she could be alongside the interns at Reed-Turner pulling garlic mustard today, she would be! Happy Birthday, Barbara.

Another happy milestone was the 30th Birthday Celebration that I recently attended for a group know as WINGS (Women Interested/In Government Service). This Lake County organization was created to encourage women to seek elected office and offer support and education for those women in leadership roles and interested in the political process. This group meets three times a year and offers inspiring speakers and valuable networking, as well as sponsoring an annual college scholarship. The birthday celebration featured a panel discussion with founding members of WINGS discussing their original dream for the organization back in 1986, and their hopes as we move forward. As we saw in the national events of last week, the contributions of women as leaders in America is a story that continues to be told.

A Big Announcement

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Meeting up with Lake County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor in January of this year.

Meeting up with Lake County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor in January of this year.

Earlier today a press release was issued by our Lake County Board Chairman, Aaron Lawlor, explaining his current thoughts on the Route 53/120 Extension Project. A key supporter of the project since the Blue Ribbon Advisory Report (BRAC)was adopted in 2012, Chairman Lawlor now believes that due to “dynamics that have changed over the past several months, it has become clear that the financial and political realities have become insurmountable.” A main concern is that “critical environmental and community protections will be cut in an effort to minimize costs.” In addition, he fears that the situation “will only get worse the longer gridlock persists in Springfield. Legislators cannot agree in the short-term on a budget to fund essential services let alone have the long-term vision to enact the legislation necessary to form the environmental stewardship fund, which is a key component of the Route 53/120 project.”

For decades, the proposed path of this road extension has been slated to run through Long Grove. Our community has opposed this project for many years and the Village Board passed a resolution this past October reaffirming this position. Having our County Board Chairman come out today suggesting that “the best thing for Lake County would be to stop the Environmental Impact Statement and refocus our attention on a sustainable vision for the current Route 53/120 corridor and plan for necessary improvements to our County’s current transportation network,” was big news to everyone following this issue.

Chairman Lawlor called me this morning before the news went public and while I was surprised by the announcement, I was not shocked. When I first took office, Aaron and I met for breakfast and I was very frank about my concerns about this project, that I was personally not in support of it and worried about the financial obstacles of building it in a way that would protect our sensitive environmental areas in Long Grove. Chairman Lawlor stated that he was adamant that the Tollway and IDOT adhere to the enhanced environmental standards identified in the BRAC report, and in his mind these were non-negotiable. These recommendations set more aggressive standards for stormwater management, light and noise pollution, water quality, plant and wildlife health, salt spray and other important safeguards. Since that first meeting, these sentiments have been reiterated over and over in our conversations about this project. I believed Chairman Lawlor when he pledged to pull back his support if he felt the Tollway or IDOT was not living up to their commitments. The integrity shown today was not a surprise.

I feel that it shows great strength to thoughtfully reconsider a position on an issue, and make a new decision in light of current information. This is a character trait that I think we all want in our leaders. It takes courage to try and change course once the journey has gotten underway, and endure the criticism that is sure to come. Elected officials are often faced with tough choices. I am grateful that our County is served by those deserving of our sincere trust and respect.

Girl’s Leadership Tea

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Enjoying High Tea with Buffalo Grove Village President Beverly Sussman (4th from left) and area Girl Scout leaders on April 14th.

Enjoying High Tea with Buffalo Grove Village President Beverly Sussman (4th from left) and area Girl Scout leaders on April 14th.

As a female in the predominantly male field of politics, I think it is important to do what we can as women and mothers to encourage leadership in young women. My neighbor and colleague Beverly Sussman, Village President of Buffalo Grove shares this sentiment, and recently the two of us teamed up to host a Leadership Tea for local Girl Scouts. Last Thursday, fifteen girls from Long Grove, Buffalo Grove, and Arlington Heights joined us at Gerri’s Tea Room in Long Grove to enjoy a three course High Tea complete with finger sandwiches, pastries, and freshly baked scones with cream. As we were supping on our English Breakfast & Earl Grey blend, Gerri (who grew up in Ireland) provided us with some history on teatime customs and etiquette.

As we learned, the tradition of sharing tea is really more about the conversation than the food (although those scones were scrumptious!) To that end, Beverly and I engaged the girls in some conversation about our jobs as Village Presidents, and how our different leadership roles throughout life have lead us to the positions that we now hold. We talked about how women have unique contributions to make to this world, and encouraged the girls to rely on those strengths, say yes to opportunities in life, and not be afraid to “reach for the stars.” The idea was to enjoy a relaxing ladies afternoon together and hopefully provide some inspiration for the future.

The Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana also blogged about this event. Click here to read more.

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Gerri Gwarnicki (in green dress at right) explains the proper way to drink from a china tea cup.

 

Celebrating Girl Scout Week

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Junior and Cadette Girl Scouts helping me proclaim National Girl Scout Week in Long Grove on March 8th, 2016.

Junior and Cadette Girl Scouts helping me proclaim National Girl Scout Week in Long Grove on March 8th, 2016.

Yesterday was International Women’s Day, and what better way to celebrate than by inviting some of our female leaders of tomorrow to help lead the Pledge of Allegiance at our Village Board meeting. Thanks to the girls of Junior Girl Scout Troop #40465 from Country Meadows Elementary and Cadette Girl Scout Troop #41041 from Woodlawn Middle School who joined me in honoring Girl Scout Week with an official proclamation. And of course, being a former Girl Scout myself and a Girl Scout leader for many years, I had the perfect chance to dig out my old scouting sweatshirt and remember the great times spent with my daughter’s troop, symbolized by all the patches. Did you know this week marks Girl Scouts 104th anniversary of Girl Scouting in the United States? A few more tidbits from the proclamation include:

WHEREAS, Girl Scouts is a global movement that thinks big and acts locally. Programs and experiences are designed to help every girl discover her sparkle. In addition to singing, dancing, hiking, and canoeing, our local Girl Scouts use problem-solving skills to make an impact in our community and around the world; and

WHEREAS, the mission of Girl Scouts is to change lives by building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place; and

WHEREAS, more than 55,440 girls and 21,381 adults are involved locally in Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that I, Angela Underwood, past Girl Scout and Girl Scout Leader and now Village President of Long Grove do hereby recognize National Girl Scout Week, March 6th-12th, 2016, and declare the same as official Girl Scout Week in Long Grove.

FURTHER, I urge all citizens of Long Grove to join me in recognizing the achievements and leadership of our local Girl Scouts and volunteers; thank them for their valuable community service and encourage the future success of this organization.

Vision and Goals

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Long Grove Village Board elected officials and staff: (L to R) seated, Village President Angie Underwood, Trustee Lori Lyman, Village Planner Jim Hogue. Standing, Trustees Mike Sarlitto, George Yaeger, Bill Jacob, Village Manager Dave Lothspeich, Trustee Stan Borys, Village Clerk Heidi Locker-Scheer, and Village Engineer Mike Shrake.

Long Grove Village Board elected officials and staff at our recent workshop meeting: (L to R) seated, Village President Angie Underwood, Trustee Lori Lyman, Village Planner Jim Hogue. Standing, Trustees Mike Sarlitto, George Yaeger, John Marshall, Bill Jacob, Village Manager Dave Lothspeich, Trustee Stan Borys, Village Clerk Heidi Locker-Scheer, and Village Engineer Mike Shrake.

On Saturday, February 27th, members of the Board of Trustees and Village Staff met for a five hour strategic planning workshop at the offices of our Village Engineer, Gewalt-Hamilton. This was a great opportunity to work together as a group to brainstorm and identify some short-term and long-term strategic goals for the Village.

When discussing our vision for Long Grove, now and in 20 years time, the prominent theme was the preservation and enhancement of our quality of life. Appreciation for the natural beauty of our open spaces, ponds, prairies, and woodlands, and the serenity that it brings to our lives, is a value shared by each one of the Trustees. We are all mindful of the need to protect the native areas that have been preserved over time; to maintain them so that they can be enjoyed by residents of today and to take steps to allow these green spaces to flourish in future years. Even though the Trustees on the current Village Board have demonstrated differences on individual issues that have come before us, it was striking to see that our overall vision for our community is very, very similar. When our facilitator, Greg Kuhn, shared the results of prior workshops done with different Long Grove Trustees going back to 2011, the same sentiments were echoed, even repetition of the same words (for example, describing our village as Brigadoon).

One exercise had us breaking up into two smaller groups to assess obstacles, challenges, and other factors that may impact the attainment of our shared Village goals.  An important area of focus that was identified by both groups is the need for cohesive economic development, not only in our historic downtown but in the periphery areas of our Village bordering our neighboring communities. In addition, both groups zeroed in on the fact that our biggest chance for success with this will be the current board’s ability to work together by putting individual differences aside and collaborating as a team. Community support of this will be key. I am hopeful that our candid discussions will prove productive.

At the next several Village Board meetings we will be discussing and refining the goals that were identified this weekend. The results of our workshop will set priorities, define responsibilities, and help us take the necessary steps to achieve our vision. I remain optimistic about the year ahead because of something else we all agreed on–our Board is brimming with passion. Passion from your elected officials for our Village. Long Grove has a motivated and hard working group of volunteers in place who all care deeply about our community and genuinely have the Village’s best interest at heart. Let’s harness that passion and work together, to build an even stronger future for Long Grove!

Eggs and Issues

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State Legislators answer questions at the February 6, 2016 Lake County Municipal League Event.

State Legislators answer questions at the February 6, 2016 Lake County Municipal League Event.

Yesterday I attended the Lake County Municipal League Legislative Breakfast in Round Lake. This annual event was an opportunity to hear directly from our local State Senators and Representatives, who spoke about what is happening (or not) in Springfield. Eleven legislators sat on the panel, and responded to questions on many diverse topics such as:  state funding for our schools, corporate flight out of Illinois, and reasons pro or con on the need to raise our state income taxes. One topic that all could agree on was the urgent necessity of getting a state budget passed, and the desire that they should all be in session until this is accomplished. The need to work together was acknowledged again and again, despite strong opinions on positions expressed individually. Another attendee used the word intransigence (confession–I had to look this up later, it means: refusing to compromise or to abandon an extreme position or attitude) as a descriptor of what was heard. Several legislators asked the municipalities present to pass resolutions demanding that the state pass a budget. If Long Grove demands that they simply do their jobs and find a way to compromise, will that work? If so, I’m willing to try.

The LCML also presented their 2016 Legislative Agenda, which details seven priority issues and four pieces of state legislation on the watch list. Priority issues of particular interest to Long Grove include:

  • Automatic Appropriation for Motor Fuel Tax & Video Gaming Funds
  • Protection of Electronics Recycling Program Funding
  • Protection of our Local Government Distributive Fund Revenues
  • Opposition to Unfunded Mandates
  • Support of Expanding Home Rule Eligibility to Communities in Excess of 5,000 Residents

Please attend our next Village Board meeting on February 9th at 7:00 pm to hear more about this as well as other important issues.

Lunchtime at Montessori

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Spending time with students of the Montessori School of Long Grove.

Spending time with students of the Montessori School of Long Grove

Last week I was lucky enough to be invited to have lunch with the teachers and students at the Montessori School of Long Grove. They were celebrating “Schools of Choice” week, and to commemorate we were each given a buttery yellow fleece scarf, shown in the pictures here. While we all enjoyed a nutritious lunch of pizza, carrots, oranges and cinnamon bread, I talked to the kids about our community and what it is like being Village President. I particularly enjoyed answering their questions, my favorite one being, “Do you find your job luxurious or kind of stressful?” My answer:  sometimes a little of each, even on the same day! The students presented me with three illustrated and laminated posters that they had created, showcasing the positive attributes of their school and our village. I hung one up in our Village Board meeting room, another at the downtown Information Center, and the third can be found on the bulletin board at Reed-Turner Nature Center. It was great fun going back to school and spending some time interacting and getting to know some of our youngest residents and potential leaders of the future. Thanks to our Montessori students, for putting a smile on my face for the rest of the day!

Wrapping up the visit with Lyn Pearson, Montessori School of Long Grove Administrator.

Wrapping up the visit with Lyn Pearson, Montessori School of Long Grove Administrator.

An Excellent Evening

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Britteny and Barb Gesheidle, owners of Smokin' T's BBQ and nominees for Business of the Year.

Brittney and Barb Gescheidle, owners of Smokin’ T’s BBQ and nominees for Business of the Year.

The Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce recently held their annual dinner and awards gala, an “Evening of Excellence.” Last year I attended this event for the first time, and made a promise to myself that I would nominate some Long Grove residents for awards in 2015. Smokin’ T’s is a favorite local restaurant not only for the BBQ, but because of the service they do to our local veterans in providing free meals for needy families at Thanksgiving and Christmas. So this was an obvious choice for my nominee as “Business of the Year.” I was also motivated to nominate one of our recently retired Village Trustees, Joseph Barry, for his three decades of service to Long Grove in many different volunteer capacities. And I am happy to announce that Joe was presented with the “Citizen of the Year” award! As luck would have it, Joe was in Hawaii last week so I had the honor of going on stage and accepting the award for him, and we will have a repeat awards presentation with Lake Zurich Chamber officials at our next Village Board meeting on February 9th. And even though Joe was having a much better time in paradise, our Long Grove table whooped it up for him in celebration of his big win. The event was attended by many local business owners, community volunteers, and government officials on the national, state, and local level. It certainly was an excellent evening of fellowship, great food, dancing, and recognition of some of the best individuals our community has to offer.

L to R Outgoing Chamber President Ken Grooms, me (doing my best Joe Barry impersonation), and State Representative Ed Sullivan. Photo credit: ANICHOLEPORTRAIT

Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Gala

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(L to R) Nandia Black, Village President of Kildeer, Me, and Mimi Black of Kildeer.

(L to R) Nandia Black, Village President of Kildeer, Me, and Mimi Black of Kildeer.

One of the enjoyable parts of this job is having the opportunity to get to know some of the other Mayors in the Chicago suburban area, like my neighbor Nandia, pictured above. The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus provides a forum through which the 273 chief elected municipal officials of Chicago and the collar counties meet quarterly. We work together as local governments to develop consensus and act on common public policy issues and multi-jurisdictional challenges. This past weekend was the annual Gala event, held this year at the Shedd Aquarium. I had not been to the Shedd since chaperoning a field trip when my kids were in grade school, almost 20 years ago! The One World Aquatic Show was great, but even more interesting was mingling with my peers and meeting new faces. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel and Governor Bruce Rauner were also in attendance. My dinner table companions were from Suburban Cook County and DuPage County. What did they want to talk about? The Route 53 extension was top of their minds when learning I hailed from Long Grove. The evening was festive and the conversation was polite, and boy, did I get an earful!