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I am a 17 year resident with my wife and daughter. I have a BA in Political Studies from the University of Illinois-Springfield.
I have served on various boards and commissions in Proviso Township, including PTHS 209.
My entire life has been devoted to service. I have proudly served the residents of Cook County at the Cook County Clerk/Recorder of Deeds office for nearly 26 years.
I have spent the last 12 years as the Director of Veterans Affairs in this office.
I feel that my experience and knowledge will translate well as a village trustee. I bring fiscal responsibility and a collaborative spirit. I always try to be the one to bring people together for the greater good and I will always be accountable for spending.
The role of Village Trustee is akin to being a member of a board of directors for the village.
We set the policy and budget for Westchester while at the same time realizing that we do not manage the day to day operations of the village.
We observe from the balcony, it is very important that we do not enter the dance floor and attempt to direct the people who so aptly run our village.
The environment is extremely important to me, as the father of a teenager, it is extremely important that we leave a legacy to our children and beyond.
That legacy most definitely includes a clean environment. Our environment is at a crossroads. If we do not act quickly, climate change will most definitely get worse. We will not have clean air and water for my daughter and for future generations.
We will not get help from the federal government over the next roughly 1400 days. It is incumbent upon us to take steps to protect the environment in this community.
We must take steps like reducing unnecessary refuse in our landfills, ensuring our water is clean for our residents. and lessening the air pollution in our community.
The biggest challenges facing our communities are our finances.
We must ensure that we are fiscally responsible to our residents while at the same time doing the right thing for our residents.
We are subject to many state and federal mandates that take from our budget. We must manage our budgets to fulfill these mandates while keeping costs and most importantly our taxes low.
This will enable long time residents to be able to afford their homes while knowing that we are being fiscally accountable to them.
We just also maintain our infrastructure when funds are available. We are proud to celebrate our hundred year anniversary, we must also realize that much of our underground infrastructure is also 100 years old.
It is extremely important that our residents voices are heard. I have been a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission for over 12 years. I am very proud of my service.
We have had contentious debates and came to consensus on many important projects. I think more residents should be involved in these roles on this commission and many others.
If elected as a village trustee, I will push for greater participation in our government. It is most definitely necessary to hear the input of many. We do not have all the answers, and the more we hear from our residents the better.
I will try to bring back the Citizens Advisory Board and I will also try to bring forward a committee to deal with the needs of our Seniors and Veterans.
We must rebuild trust . It is no secret that the last five years in Westchester have been difficult we have had three different Village Presidents and at times, there is distrust. We must rebuild the trust of the community, this is done by interacting with our residents and operating transparently.
As I stated previously, it has always been my goal to build consensus. If I am successful in my efforts to get elected, I will continue this behavior. As an observer, I have seen the fractures within our board. I will work very hard to try to heal these chasms.
I think it would be best to hold a board retreat so we can get to know each other better. It is much easier to build consensus when you know the person you are dealing with.
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I have lived in Westchester for nearly 15 years and have 2 children, and 3 grandchildren. With 30 years in sales and management, I've handled multi-million dollar contracts and budgets, always focused on accountability and results. As a Trustee, I actively meet with staff, support commissions, and work to turn ideas into real improvements. I've helped improve policies, strengthen village services, and improve transparency. My decisions are guided by what's best for Westchester, not personal interests. I don't make empty promises-I believe in integrity, collaboration, and delivering meaningful progress for our community.
A Trustee serves alongside the Village President as part of the legislative body, setting policies, approving budgets, and ensuring responsible governance while the Village Manager and staff handle daily operations. I'm proud to have helped hire our new professional management team, which, under the Board's direction, is restoring fiscal responsibility, improving efficiency, and strengthening Village services. Trustees play a vital role in listening to residents, fostering open communications, and turning community priorities into action. I remain committed to transparency, accountability, and making Westchester strong for the future.
For over three years, I have been the Trustee Liaison to GROW, the Village's ecological commission. I've helped turn sustainability goals into action by providing active leadership, creating clear processes, and working with staff to advance initiatives. I'm currently working with GROW to implement actions from the Greenest Region Compact, a regional sustainability plan. I also continually promote resident education on sustainability topics, as small community actions create big impact. Engagement in GROW increases each year, proving informed residents drive real change. I'm committed to expanding my efforts with GROW to make Westchester greener and more resilient.
Our biggest challenge-like many communities-is infrastructure. As our village turns 100, we still have 29 miles of 1920's water mains out of the 65 miles total. While we replaced 5 miles last year, decades of neglect left aging infrastructure beneath resurfaced streets. We're now on the right path, securing over $9M in grants in the past five years, but funding is getting harder to obtain. That's why we must stay proactive, leveraging our budget and revenue to continue rebuilding. Safe roads and clean water aren't luxuries-they're necessities, and I remain committed to ensuring we invest wisely in Westchester's future.
I've always had an open door and residents regularly reach out. I want to expand town halls and introduce an annual State of the Village meeting to enhance transparency. I'd also like to revive our Citizens Advisory Board (CAB), which, when structured properly, would be the perfect medium for resident input. While it previously struggled with engagement, I believe a clearer mission, defined roles, and structured processes-like those I've developed with GROW-would ensure it's success. CAB should hold regular meetings and surveys, directly connecting residents to staff and the board, making community voices a driving force in local decision-making.
Trust is built through honesty, integrity and transparency. I supported the transparency portal which provides residents with access to village financial information and key documents, strengthened oversight by hiring experienced staff and expanded outreach thru digital platforms like our weekly e-newsletter. Real collaboration requires a clear process to vet and implement ideas. As Trustee Liaison to our GROW Commission I helped establish structured pathways that have led to real action, including securing grants for projects. I bring this approach to the Board ensuring a defined process for reviewing concerns, expanding engagement thru town halls and surveys and implementing ideas in a way that aligns with process, feasibility and budget.
