Campaign Phone
7733983784
At the Village of Lisle, I helped residents and business owners navigate business permits, codes, and other municipality-related questions. Serving as a liaison between the village and the residents demonstrated just how big of a difference each of us can make in our communities. On the County Board I’ve served on numerous committees including as the Chair of the Finance Committee, where I’ve become an expert on the county’s finances and learned nearly every aspect of county government. I’m the former President of the Democratic Women of DuPage County and an active member of the Lisle-Woodridge League of Women Voters. Both of these organizations play a pivotal role in educating voters and promoting active participation in our communities.
The fiscal mismanagement and disregard for the established accounting processes are by far the most concerning issues. The first thing I will do is conduct an internal audit of the budget and every contract and vendor, and develop a detailed budget. We don’t have any understanding as to where funds are going, how those decisions are made, or what long-term budget planning is being done. I will always work with the office’s staff to develop comprehensive, transparent budgets to present to the county board and make available to the public for scrutiny. Furthermore, we should bid out contracts and ensure that all county and standard accounting procedures are followed. We have to lead by example through transparency and accountability.
Administering elections is the chief responsibility of the County Clerk, and the Clerk should play a visible and central role in communicating election issues and information to the public to combat the misinformation that threatens our democracy. Through my office, I will host educational sessions for residents, collaborate with community organizations to encourage civic participation and voter participation, and work to recruit and educate our election judges.
The Clerk’s office should be an open and transparent office that is honest about its operations and responsive to public concerns. We see that extreme politicians are doing everything they can to disenfranchise voters and inject doubt into the election process. The only way to combat that is to build trust with the communities we serve through transparency and communication. I will be a full-time Clerk with full-time in-office hours. Residents will know that if they have a problem, concern, or question about my office they can stop by the office and I’ll be there - working hard for them, ready to listen, and eager to work together.
I have served as DuPage County Clerk for over seven years. During this time, my office has flawlessly administered our three main responsibilities -- elections, vital records and property tax revenue.
Under my leadership, we have conducted ten outstanding elections, implemented Vote Anywhere, doubled Early Voting sites, developed an award-winning vote-by-mail operation, and purchased state-of-the-art, 100% paper voting equipment.
Prior to this position, I was a volunteer election reform activist from 2005 to 2019, attending numerous DuPage Election Commission Board meetings, researching all aspects of the electoral process, and initiating good government changes.
My passion for this office is well demonstrated.
While sitting on a $25 million surplus, the County Board failed to provide enough money to cover the costs of running both a primary and general election this year even after being provided an itemized breakdown of the required expenses. The board’s finance chair is not seeking re-election to that office, and I hope that her replacement will be someone who prioritizes election funding. I will continue to fight for the money it takes to keep delivering DuPage voters the best-run elections in the state. I will not back down.
In my next term, I intend to advocate for changes to the election law to increase voter access. Vote-by-mail and early voting period begins before the period for courts to complete ruling on candidate objections.
In the ten elections my office has conducted, almost all have had the highest voter turnout in the region. A top goal of mine since Day One has been to increase voter turnout.
High voter turnout depends on access to the ballot. In DuPage, citizens are tripping over voting options. We've doubled our Early Voting sites. We've implemented an award-winning vote-by-mail operation with nearly 100,000 permanent mail voters. And, we feature Vote Anywhere allowing voters to use any polling site.
One way my office ensured confidence in the voting process was to bring in new, 100% paper voting equipment not connected to the internet. Paper ballots are the gold standard in election integrity, allowing for a durable, fully transparent recount.
Nothing could be more efficient, welcoming, responsive and crucial to our very democracy than Vote Anywhere. DuPage is the first and only county in Illinois to make it available to voters.
In November 2012, I was poll watching at a large, diverse site in DuPage County. It was nearly 7 pm -- closing time -- yet there were still many voters waiting in line. One by one, voters were told they were in the wrong polling place and turned away. Given the time, the darkness and the rain, there was little chance most of them would ever locate the correct polling place to vote.
I said to myself, "Someone needs to fix this problem."
Ten years later, that someone turned out to be me.
Campaign Phone
3124514337
My 24 years of practicing law qualify me for the Clerk's Office. As an officer of the court, I have practiced law and lived by my legal and ethical obligations for the general good of society. As a lawyer, I bring sound judgment, integrity, analytical thinking and a deep respect for the rule of law. I currently work at a mid-size firm where I concentrate in handling workers’ compensation and employment issues on behalf of employers. This work requires careful analysis of complex legal and factual issues, strict adherence to the law, deadlines, and clear communication with multiple and diverse stakeholders. These skills translate directly to this position where accuracy, fairness and respect for the rule of law are essential.
The top three issues in the office today include 1) irresponsible fiscal governance, 2) a lack of transparency, and 3) legal misjudgment. All of these issues combined have eroded public trust in the office responsible for our precious vital records and elections. I will prepare responsible budgets, ensure full compliance with procurement laws, collaborate effectively with our DuPage County departments and exercise fiscal discipline by operating within approved appropriations. I am the only candidate with a law degree that equips me to best navigate the intricacies of our legal system so that our taxpayer money is not spent on unnecessary legal battles, as caused by our current Clerk.
Elections succeed when residents actively participate in running them. The Clerk's office should focus on encouraging residents to serve as election judges and poll watchers. The Clerk's office should hold more public forums. The Clerk's office can ensure confidence by maintaining accurate and up-to-date voter rolls to ensure every qualified voter can participate in our elections as required by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA). The Clerk's office should establish a clear internal procedure for the regular maintenance of voter rolls to ensure they remain accurate, up-to-date and compliant with the law, and that said procedure is conducted in a uniform and nondiscriminatory manner.
I will analyze workflow, review internal procedures and identify root causes to ensure that the County does not miss out on any additional revenue opportunities, as has happened with the current Clerk's office. I will ensure that the Office of the DuPage County Clerk is open to the public during regular business hours, rather than by appointment only, to provide greater accessibility and transparency for all residents. I will update the public on new and improved procedures so that they feel engaged, confident and connected to the Clerk's office.
