Activist Toolkit

1. What motivates you to seek this office? What skills, experiences, and perspectives would you bring, and why would those contributions be valuable in the office you are seeking?

I am currently serving my 3rd term as a Berwyn Alderman of the 7th Ward. Recently several community leaders and elected officials asked me to consider running for the office of City Clerk. Prior to becoming an Alderman, I worked in real estate commercial management for over 30 years. During that time, I was promoted to Vice President and managed several buildings for the City of Chicago including the Richard J. Daley Center and Millennium Park. I have extensive knowledge in budget control and managerial skills while managing over 200 employees. My background and experience will provide value to the day to day operation of the Clerk’s office. I am also bilingual and this will help me to serve as a liaison to the Hispanic community in Berwyn as I strive to translate the meeting notices, meeting minutes and other documents from the Clerk’s office making it available. As an Alderman I was a co-sponsor the Welcoming City Ordinance and my determination would be to make the City Clerk’s office more accessible and welcoming to all. 

2. When in the past have you had to balance competing interests? What process did you use? What did you learn?

During the time when we were deliberating on passing the Minimum Wage Ordinance in Berwyn, I was approached by several outside groups to convince me not to vote for this ordinance. However, after meeting with several Berwyn residents that were not being compensated sufficiently for their work, I saw that the need for this ordinance was necessary. I had to find a way to balance these competing interests by hosting and leading small group meetings to discuss the ordinance.

I learned that by working with smaller groups, I was able to listen to each groups’ concerns and find a way to work together and determine what would be best for all. This process really helped us to meet on a common ground and the Ordinance was passed.

3. What does transparency in government mean to you?  How would you put it into practice? 

In my opinion, government transparency means sharing information with all of our residents. We have to be more open, transparent, and be accountable with our duties and responsibilities. As City Clerk, I would make sure that all documents are translated and available in both English and Spanish to provide pertinent information to the Hispanic community which makes up about 58% of Berwyn’s population. It is important to share information with all residents so they can be aware of what is happening in the City at all times. This will hold all government officials accountable for their duties to serve the residents. More importantly, residents will feel empowered to work within the community, voice their opinions and help lead City Council to make changes to promote the advancement of the City of Berwyn. By being more transparent and offering residents more knowledge and opportunities to become involved in the community, we can all work together to continually move Berwyn forward.

4. As more of our local discourse happens in social media, what is your view on how local elected officials should communicate with and respond to constituents? How will you engage with the breadth of the community, and not only those on social media?

As more of our local discourse happens in social media, It is important that we listen to our constituents in order to be able to service them more appropriately whether that is on social media or in person. In order to engage with the breadth of the community, and not only those on social media we can strive to find out what their concerns are and address them by hosting more community meetings. Then, we can follow up with a plan to resolve all concerns and grow together as a community. More open communications between elected officials and the residents are a great beginning to close the bridge of inclusion by all.

5. What barriers do you see for community members who wish to engage with Berwyn’s city government? How would you work to reduce or eliminate those barriers?  

The barriers I see for community members who wish to engage with Berwyn’s city government include lack of understanding and participation with the electoral process and during City Council meetings. As City Clerk, it would be my responsibility to break these barriers by hosting more informative meetings to find ways in which community members can participate while disseminating information regarding public meetings in Spanish and English. This will welcome all residents to participate and engage with their government. I will also arrange voter registration drives at the local High School and some of the larger city events when possible. By registering individuals at a young age, we can work to reduce these barriers as we ensure our residents understand the importance of participating and engaging with Berwyn’s city government. 

6. What do you feel are the most important issues facing Berwyn, and what steps can you take as Clerk to address them? 

I feel that lack of transparency and lack of communication through vital documents because of a language barrier are the most important issues facing Berwyn. As Clerk I can translate all meeting documents, applications for permits, and agenda as well as the minutes for the council me meeting. I can take these steps to address these issues that Berwyn is facing and help provide education about what work the City does for all of its residents. By improving transparency and offering translated documents to the residents, my hope is that we can improve communication and participation with more residents. 

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

To me, equity means being fair and unbiased in addition to inclusion for all. Equity should foster environments that promote. No, recent events and discussions in the larger community have not changed my thinking. Although it may be easy for some to be persuaded when listening to discussions occurring in a large community, it is important to stay neutral while listening to both sides. Achieving that is possible. We must invest in change, question our preconceived notions, and be empathetic towards each other. The benefits to this approach are worth it.

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

I plan to solicit feedback from people who may be experiencing Berwyn in a different way than I am by being more open and transparent with the way we communicate with our residents. While we have several social media groups that we use to disseminate information, not everyone uses the internet. To break this barrier, I would consider using more mailers to get important information out.  

9. Name an influential Berwyn community member. How did this person’s influence change Berwyn? As an elected official, what do you imagine your influence will be on the community?

Ann Mackin was a great influential Berwyn community member. Ann and a small group of residents convinced the State Legislators to permit the creation of the North Berwyn Park District in 1976. Before this, there were no parks or park activities/programs in North Berwyn. Their vision changed North Berwyn and created the North Berwyn Park District so that residents would have access to them. As an elected official, I imagine that my influence will encourage residents to participate and engage more with their community. I will make the Clerk’s office welcoming and transparent to all of the residents. I hope to take the necessary steps that will pave the way to improve the future for more participation and increase involvement by our diverse population and make Berwyn more welcoming to all.

10. How will you as Clerk encourage the youth of Berwyn to interact and engage with the city government? 

As Clerk, I will encourage the youth of Berwyn to interact and engage with the city government by working closely with the local High School to permit me to have an informational table that will have material on how to get more involved. Such events will allow me the opportunity to work directly with our youth and enable them to realize the importance of their right to vote and have their voices heard. At a young age, I believe this will encourage our future leaders to take initiative and engage with city government to make changes for our future. I will also hold voter registration drives in the High School so that once of age they can participate in the electoral process. I hope my efforts will encourage the youth of Berwyn to get more involved at a young age.

11. What do you see as the most important responsibilities of the Clerk’s office? Do you see opportunities for the office to do more? 

I believe that some of the most important responsibilities of the Clerk’s office are to serve as the City’s Clerk and as Berwyn Township Clerk as well as Secretary to the Public Board of Health. The City Clerk’s office is responsible for many duties whether imposed by statute or not but to satisfy local needs. They include recording, editing, and distributing minutes of the council meetings. The City Clerk is also the City’s Freedom of Information Officer. The City Clerk must also act as a liaison between the City Council and the public. The City Clerk also drafts meeting agendas.

 I do see opportunities for the office to do more. These documents should all be bilingual so that all residents understand what work city government is doing for them. Because the City Clerk is responsible for a variety of duties that impact all residents, it is vital that all correspondence is translated to ensure that more residents’ needs are satisfied.

12. Many Berwyn residents have expressed confusion about the disparate roles of the City and the Township, particularly in the past year as the importance of the Health Department increased due to the pandemic. Do you believe action is necessary to increase public awareness of the various taxing bodies and their functions? What steps would you take?

Yes, I believe that action is necessary to increase public awareness of the various taxing bodies and their functions. We should do a better job of describing the role of the City and the Township to the residents. The steps I would recommend taking are to create a pamphlet outlying the roles and distribute them to the residents. It is very important that everyone understands these roles and the services that are provided by each entity. I would suggest that we provide these descriptions on each website for the City and the Township. In this way, we can educate residents one each entity’s role and responsibilities.

13. As an elected official, what lessons will you draw from the experience of the pandemic about the purpose and role of government?

As an elected official, the experience of the pandemic has taught me that it is important to have a plan ready to deal with crisis appropriately. It is also important that all taxing bodies such as the school districts, park districts, City government and Township officials work together, as one, so that we ensure an equitable outcome for all residents. The purpose and role of the government is to distribute the most up to date information in a timely manner. Information about testing centers, vaccines or other aids should be readily available.  Also, the government must make sure the public is informed about mandated guidelines and that they are followed for the safety of all.

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[The above answers were supplied on 2/13/21.]