Activist Toolkit

1. What motivates you to seek this office? What skills, experiences, and perspectives would you bring to the Board of Trustees, and why would those contributions be valuable to the Village of River Forest?

I have been a resident of River Forest for over 20 years.  I love my adopted hometown.  This past year has been a challenging one. The COVID pandemic and the social disturbances that we have witnessed have changed our lives and affected us in many ways. Amongst us are those who have suffered great personal loss, become unemployed, and/or experienced disruptions of businesses. Many have been separated from family and those we love for extended time periods. 

Despite these challenges, I am heartened to see River Forest come to life with families out and about on our streets and in our parks, building stronger connections with each other as well as with friends and neighbors. I am hopeful that 2021 will be a year of renewal. I am running for Village Trustee because I want to foster that renewal. I want to use the lessons of our recent past to make a better future for our Village.

As for my skills and experience:  

• I am an advertising professional with over 30 years in the business.  My reputation is that of a strong functional team leader, a skilled collaborator, and hard worker.  There is much change in advertising, requiring me to continuously listen and learn in order to make the best decisions that I can at the time in which the decisions need to be made. 

• I have applied the skills learned throughout my life to successfully fulfill a responsibility that every citizen should undertake – giving back to the community. Some of the ways that I have done so:

• Chairperson, River Forest Sustainability Commission

• Member of the Oak Park River Forest Infant Welfare Society including three years on their Board of Directors in charge of marketing

• Adjunct Professor and guest lecturer at Dominican University 

• Founding Member, Keystone Triangle Neighborhood Association

As Trustee, I plan to use these skills to continuously improve the quality of life in River Forest for all residents with a focus on COVID recovery, a caring / connected community and affordability.

2. What steps will you take to improve and expand community engagement with the Village and the Board? What is your view on how to involve residents in the decision making process in our Village?

I think that the VRF does a really good job of providing residents with different means of connection with Village government and government officials.  Residents can engage formally with the Village and the Board via email accessed from the VRF website and via public comments at Board Meetings.  In addition, the Village President and Board Members make themselves very accessible informally via phone, email and one-on-one meetings.  Some even extend themselves to Facebook.  These formal and informal connection points should continue.  

As for engagement in the Village’s decision making process … currently residents can attend board meetings and provide their input via public comments as well as participate in special topic surveys when implemented.  In addition, they can volunteer to join a task force when convened to study a particular subject.  Further, they can volunteer to join one of the 10 or so commissions that are now in place as openings are available. 

The VRF has much information on its website and has embraced resident outreach via email and social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, YouTube).  It appears to me that it is making every effort to keep residents informed and evolving its communication channels as appropriate.

Of course, we can always improve.  We should always improve.  I would like to explore digital feedback tools, leveraging those now used successfully in business to solicit feedback from clients and employees.  Before moving forward, such a system will require a careful review of the cost / benefit equation.

3. Give an example of a time when you worked to understand a situation or view different from your own. What helped you to move through that process? What hindered you as you moved through the process?

In the advertising business, it is sometimes the case that the agency team is not aligned on how to move a project forward.  The result is a project slowed or stopped. When that happens, it is imperative that all seek to understand with an eye toward consensus to keep work moving forward on time and on budget.  

When I seek to understand, I take a step back to make observations from different angles.  I separate “facts” from “stories.”  Toward that end, I ask questions, solicit input and do research.  Importantly, I try very hard to “walk in the shoes” of those with alternative perspectives.  Empathy is a powerful thing … it can result in better communication and changed minds.  

An example of when I have done just this:

My supervisor proposed to me that a direct report with whom I had a rocky relationship  be promoted to run a team; to be my peer.  My initial reaction:  “not in a million years.”  But my boss was persistent with his vision.  I decided to remove my personal relationship from the equation.  My direct report was talented, had the dedication of his team and the confidence of our client.  He was smart and hard-working. He and I just did not see “eye to eye” on a number of issues; we had little common ground.  My conclusion: I could not let my personal feelings stop what was right for the team and for the business.  So I aligned with my supervisor to support my direct report, soon to be my peer. To start things off on the right foot, I reached out to this person to share my initial hesitation, establish a shared vision and find a way to work together.  The result was a professional partnership that resulted in business growth for the agency.

4. Who or what is your role model for your approach to governing?

My role model for my approach to governing comes from my work life. A former boss started up his own advertising agency five years ago.  The guiding principle of his new agency was to be the kindest company in the world.  That simple vision is at the core of  every aspect of his company.  This year, the company is on the annual Inc. Magazine 5000 List, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies.

One thing to note about being kind per my old boss:

“Being kind doesn’t mean that we don’t disagree, and it certainly doesn’t mean we don’t share our points of view.  Quite the opposite.  Being kind starts with having a point of view, communicating clearly and honestly, and valuing the input and ideas of others as if they were your own.  It means parking your ego at the door and working to one goal and one goal only – creating something amazing that drives toward the intended outcome with the constraints of time and budget.” 

5. What do you feel are the three biggest issues facing River Forest, and how do you intend to address them? How will you prioritize among competing priorities?

My three biggest priorities will be: 

• Support a robust COVID recovery.

  • Financial Recovery.  The recent decision of the VRF Board of Trustees not to increase the Village tax rate is brave and an important first step. But it is not something that can be sustained without the identification of alternate revenue sources.  The most impactful method in both the short and long term is driving increased revenue sourced from sales tax through support of our local businesses and a focus on redevelopment along North Avenue, Lake Street and Madison Street.

  • Social Recovery. Many of our residents suffer from ongoing isolation due to COVID.  As soon as is permissible, based upon the advice of our medical community and in concert with state and federal public health guidelines, we should reinstate and expand Village-sponsored activities working with the Park District and other groups.

• Ensure a Caring, Connected, Informed Community in which everyone feels safe and welcome.

  • Support all VRF Diversity & Inclusion initiatives including the Dominican University Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation initiative and pending assessment of internal Village practices and protocol.   

  • Continuously improve the VRF website to make it even easier to find information in less “clicks”. Consider using Facebook as a formal inbound communication channel, as many corporations now do in support of customer service.

• Keep our costs down so that River Forest remains affordable for all. 

  • Maintain stability at Village Hall given the departure of our long-tenured Village Manager.  He built a highly skilled team of 72 across administration, police, fire and public works. My opinion is that they do the work of a team much bigger than they are, which is a good thing since salary and pension are our biggest line items in the Village budget.  

  • Continue the expansion of technology to automate rote tasks across Village Hall in order to free up employee time for higher value work.

  • As previously stated, increase revenue sourced from sales tax.

6. How would you characterize appropriate oversight of the Village Administrator by the Board? Given that River Forest will soon have a new Village Administrator, what challenges or opportunities do you expect the Board to face in its oversight role?

Governance in the VRF is defined in our municipal code and that of the state of Illinois.  As elected officials, the Village President and Board of Directors work together to set objectives and strategy as well as establish priorities, with execution the purview of the Village Manager and his/her/their team. It is analogous to a corporate governance structure comprised of the Board of Directors, a CEO and the CEO’s direct reports.   

With this framework in mind, the President and Village Board work collaboratively to find the very best talent for the Village Administrator position.  Once the new team member is in place, it is imperative that the President and Village Board ensure proper onboarding of that resource so that they have all of the knowledge that they need to be successful in their job,  Then the President and Village Board should let the Village Administrator do their job!  Extensive supervisory involvement is called micromanaging and that is not an effective management technique.  It leads to frustration and turnover.

I believe that Lisa Scheiner, now the acting Village Administrator, should be considered for this open position, vacated by Eric Palm.  She has been the Assistant Village Administrator since September 2013, is highly competent, was trained by Eric and knows the Village.

7. What do you believe has been the most significant action taken by the Board in recent years, and why? Do you believe the Board acted appropriately?

I believe that the most significant action taken by the Village Board of Trustees in the last decade is the development of the Economic Development Commission. The role of this commission is vital to securing reliable, increased revenue streams sourced from sales tax and business property taxes so that we are less and less dependent on resident property taxes over time.  This will allow for the Village to maintain a low tax rate without negatively impacting services for its residents.  Keeping costs down for our residents is imperative to our financial recovery from COVID in the short term as well as to our ability to attract new families to our lovely town and allow older residents the opportunity to age in place.  The Economic Development Commission’s most recent contribution is the new senior living center, The Sheridan at River Forest.  This new facility will generate more than $600,000 in non-residential property tax for the Village each year.

During the last year, the most significant action taken by the board is addressing diversity, equity and inclusion within our Village.  They made an important first step with the Dominican University alliance on racial equity.  Dominican University has much depth and breadth of experience in this space.  Dominican University is one of the first cohorts of universities across the country to be designated as a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Center by the American Association of Colleges and Universities. TRHT is a nationally recognized, community-based initiative for racial justice. What a great resource in our own backyard!  

Yes, I believe that the Board acts appropriately.  I applaud their spirited debate and discussion that I believe leads to better decisions.

8. How do you define racial equity? Have recent events and discussions in the larger community informed or changed your thinking?

I am still actively learning about racial equity.  At present, this is what I have found to be most helpful to me.  

Recent events and discussions in River Forest and across the United States have revealed that we have much work to do to ensure equity on many fronts including race, sexual orientation, age and people with disabilities.  Racial equity is by far our biggest challenge with the Black Lives Matter movement helping to force a dialogue. That dialogue is long overdue.

I am proud of my Dominican University community which strives for equity across their student body, working to give each student what they need to successfully find a paid internship and convert that internship into fulltime employment.  As a sanctuary school, there are many students from different walks of life who are first generation college students.  Their backgrounds are similar to my father’s background.  They look to the university to coach them on resumes, LinkedIn Profiles and networking.  I am on staff as an adjunct professor to help them do this through a set of four required courses.  I am privileged and need to use that privilege to support them in any way that I can.  I continue to be humbled and amazed at the focus of these students to listen and learn with an eye on their long term goals.  It drives me to continue to teach, coaching these students on their journey to a great career.

9. How do you plan to solicit feedback from people who may be experiencing River Forest in a different way than you? What barriers do you believe may exist in this process?

I believe it vital that public officials make themselves accessible to the public for which they serve.  Further, I believe that they need to proactively reach out to those very same constituents as many may be reticent to do the same.

I have already shared by personal email and phone number for those who would like to reach out to me.  I welcome the dialogue.  If I am fortunate enough to be elected a Trustee, I will further increase my personal availability by instituting weekly “office hours” during which I could be reached via Zoom, via phone or in person.  Setting aside time specifically for the community will ensure that they can connect with me easily.

I expect that the biggest barrier to getting feedback from people who may be experiencing a different River Forest than me is a belief that their voice will not be heard.  With this in mind, I will have to go the extra mile in my outreach through:

• Participation in community events attended by not only VRF residents but also residents from our neighboring towns, particularly Maywood given the Twin Village Covenant.

• Continued participation in programs like the VRF Diversity & Inclusion initiatives including the Dominican University Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation initiative. My experience thus far in this program has been very positive. 

• Continued participation in DE&I training programs at work which are focused on ensuring a diverse workplace where all feel welcome and are given every opportunity with the support necessary to succeed.

10. What is your position on the extent to which the Village includes or should include accessibility features? Please address both physical structures and virtual/information processes.

I believe that the VRF should do everything that it can to ensure full accessibility to Village physical structures and Village information. 

It is my understanding that all Village buildings are already fully ADA compliant and that the VRF Public Works Department is working to replace all sidewalk curbs with ADA compliant curb ramps for visually impaired people and people with mobility difficulties.  We should also work to ensure that our sidewalks are free of cracks and irregular surfaces on an ongoing basis in support of these same groups as well as to prevent injury to others who might simply trip.

As for virtual / information processes, I recommend that the current website undergo an ADA review to ensure compliance with current requirements, if one has not already been done.  Beyond ADA compliance, the VRF website might also be due for an upgrade in order to improve the ability of users to readily find information (e.g., in just a few “clicks”). Finding the need for such updating would not be surprising given the speed of innovation in the digital space.  Of course, such updates might require significant funding and therefore, should be prioritized vis-à-vis other Village needs with an eye toward cost / benefit.

11. How can the Village encourage and support locally-owned businesses in River Forest?

The current program encouraging our residents to shop locally, highlighting VRF businesses on the Village website, in email and across social channels, is a great program supporting locally-owned businesses.  This program should continue post-COVID.  To supplement this effort, it would be great if the VRF could work with the Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce to create programs that further incentivize our residents to patronize local establishments rather than shopping and eating elsewhere.  

It is equally important to attract new local businesses to the VRF.  Toward this end, the VRF has a great Guide for New Business on their website. And I am told that the Village Administration staff works very collaboratively with prospective new business owners to navigate the process to get up and running in keeping with River Forest rules and regulations.  Most importantly, the Economic Development Committee is key to ensuring that appropriate retail space is available in our town; retail space that meets prospective new business owner requirements in terms of the physical space itself as well as easy customer access, nearby parking and sufficient foot traffic.

Finally, the VRF should continue to support our local businesses on an ad-hoc basis like they have been doing during COVID (e.g., reduce / eliminate fees).

12. The Village Board passed an Affordable Housing Plan last June, which included a number of specific actions to be considered by village commissions. What is your stance on affordable housing in River Forest, and which, if any, of those actions would you push forward?

At a minimum, VRF must meet state requirements for Affordable Housing with an increase in affordable housing from 9% to 10%.  In addition, we should explore going beyond the 10% minimal threshold taking into account the realities of our Village with regard to available space as well as public opinion on the height and footprint of new development.  Having Affordable Housing is vital to ensuring diversity across our Village from a socioeconomic standpoint.  Diversity in turn enhances the quality of life for all of our residents.  In addition, we should most certainly work to ensure that those who work in our Village can live in our Village.  I do not believe that this is always the case today.

The current VRF Affordable Housing Plan, with its submission required by law, is a good first step in what will be an ongoing journey.  The six actions in the plan make sense to start.  Some of these actions work to solve for some of the challenges we will undoubtedly face due to our small Village footprint; specifically, 

• Allowing for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and integrated supportive housing for those residents where a group housing situation make sense and/or is desired. 

• Ensuring that our current affordable housing remains of the highest quality.  

• Allowing for taller and more dense development in certain areas. This will require much conversation with Village residents given an historical bias against construction of such proportion.

In addition, we should encourage multi-generational family living under one roof in our larger homes; something that we are just starting to see in town. This would also benefit historical preservation. 

Review the current VRF affordable housing plan here.

13. What impact can a municipality such as River Forest have on climate change, and how will you prioritize that work among other issues? [For incumbents: What actions have you taken in office with respect to climate change?]

Fighting climate change must be a priority for all of us.  After all, we only have one planet.   

Village President Cathy Adduci, on behalf of the VRF, has signed two commitments to protect the environment against climate change including the Greenest Region Compact 2 (GRC2) in 2016 and the Chicago Climate Charter in 2017.  VRF established the River Forest Sustainability Commission (RFSC) in 2017 to support these commitments.

I have been the chairperson of the RFSC since June 2020.  This commission is a very hard working commission.  Over a few short years, the RFSC has defined its mission and crafted a strategic plan comprised of seven key strategies that align with that mission. Importantly, we have started measuring VRF greenhouse gas emissions on an annual basis.  In parallel, RFSC commissioners, student commissioners and resident volunteers work together to bring to fruition robust programming in support of these strategies. 

The RFSC is now exploring the possibility of transforming its strategic plan into a formal Climate Action Plan.  Toward this end, we are reviewing the Climate Action Plan of the City of Ann Arbor Michigan as well as Climate Action Plans from other municipalities. We are hoping to leverage the learning and experience of other municipalities of similar size to ensure feasibility with an eye toward available resources (e.g., labor and funding).  

Note that the RFSC will be sharing the VRF greenhouse gas emission metrics at the April 2021 VRF Board of Trustees meeting.  It is our intent to do so every year thereafter in April which is the last month of the VRF fiscal year.

To learn more about the RFSC, click here.

14. What are your plans for collaborating with our neighboring communities? What specific steps would you take in relation to the recent Twin Village Covenant with Maywood?

Collaborating with our neighbors across the near-west suburbs including but not limited to Elmwood Park, Forest Park, Melrose Park, Maywood and Oak Park just makes good business sense.  After all, we all are facing similar issues and opportunities including an aging population, sustainability and infrastructure maintenance as well as diversity, equity and inclusion to name but a few.

We should be:

• Sharing information and expertise to expedite issue resolution and opportunity advancement.

• Driving scale where we are able to drive effectiveness and efficiency in operations across Village Administration, Public Works, Police Department and Fire Department as well as on our commissions and committees.

• Eliminating overlap in services to optimize our collective efforts.

With regard to the recent Twin Village Covenant, I believe a good first step is to review the plans of each VRF Committee / Commission with Maywood and vice-versa to identify where it makes sense to work together.  Similarly, we could review VRF administration and operations with an eye toward synergy across both villages.

15. Do you think River Forest’s TIF Districts have been a good and effective use of taxpayer funds? What material benefits have the North Avenue and Madison TIFs had? Should they be continued?

First, let’s define what a TIF is.  Per goodjobsfirst.org: “Tax increment financing, or TIF, subsidizes companies by refunding or diverting a portion of their taxes to help finance development in an area … Usually, TIF helps to pay for infrastructure improvements (streets, sewers, parking lots) in the area near a new development. In some states, TIF can also be used for acquiring land … paying for planning expenses (legal fees, studies, engineering, etc.), demolishing and rehabbing buildings, cleaning up contaminated areas (“brownfields”), or funding job training programs. Some states allow TIF to directly subsidize private development expenses.”

I believe that TIFs are important to the economic development of the Village of River Forest.  Having the ability to invest funds as necessary in support of economic development helps to enact decisions quickly and expedite outcomes.   They have been used effectively in the past. 

• The River Forest Town Center and multi-unit housing at Lake and William are the result of a TIF on Lake Street.  

• The TIF on Madison Street has already been used to keep two small businesses in River Forest (e.g., In and Out Fitness, The Skincare Company) when they were forced to relocate due to construction at Lathrop and Lake.

• The North Avenue TIF is relatively new.  It is my understanding that funding has not yet been allocated.

16. What are your ideas for new partnerships with other taxing bodies within River Forest?

Per the VRF website, there are 10 named taxing bodies within River Forest (https://www.vrf.us/departments/department/2/Tax-information.html).  It makes good business sense to drive collaboration across taxing bodies within River Forest to drive effectiveness and efficiency for our residents.  

We should be:

• Sharing information and expertise to expedite issue resolution and opportunity advancement.

• Driving scale where we are able to drive effectiveness and efficiency in operations. 

• Eliminating overlap in services to optimize our collective efforts.

There are already many formal and informal partnerships that exist across taxing bodies within River Forest; for example:

• The River Forest Park District maintains all greenspace throughout  the Village including that owned by the VRF, District 90 and the River Forest Public Library.

• VRF and the River Forest Township work together on supporting our seniors.  These entities are working together on COVID-19 Senior Task Force Program.

• The River Forest Sustainability Commission is collaborating with the River Forest Library to bring educational programming to VRF residents about chemical free lawn care in April 2021. 

I expect that there are a ton of other ways that these entities can work together further.  Some examples that I would explore include:

• Bring together the Cook County Forest Preserve and the River Forest Sustainability Commission to work together to preserve/ expand our green ecosystems to fight climate change. 

• Explore how students at District 90 and District 200 could support programs focused on our senior citizens, building upon the annual Valentine’s Day Program at Willard School.

• • • • •

[The above answers were supplied on 2/19/21.]