Lake Forest - Lake Bluff Democrats

Recruit - Support - Elect

Q & A

Meet The Candidates – October 2022

by

On Sunday, October 16, 2022 , Lake Forest Lake Bluff Democrats met with our neighbors and heard from officeholders and candidates up and down the ballot, including:

Senator and Majority Whip Dick Durbin
Congressman Brad Schneider


Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton
Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs
Illinois State Senator Julie Morrison
Illinois State Representative Bob Morgan
Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart
Lake County Board Member Paras Parekh
Judge Chris Kennedy, candidate for Illinois Appellate Court
Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg
Former State Senator Susan Garrett, who spoke on behalf of Illinois Supreme Court Candidate Elizabeth Rochford

Illinois Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton

The key takeaway- everyone needs to VOTE! A woman’s right to choose depends on Lake County Democrats voting in this election! Please make sure that your family and your friends do their part to protect our democracy and our reproductive right! Thank you to all who joined us!

Q & A – Paras Parekh Candidate for Lake County Board District 12

by

District 12 on the County Board includes parts of Deerfield, Del Mar Woods, Highland Park, Knollwood and all of Lake Forest.

Please tell us a little about you and your background? (family, education, work-life, hobbies, etc.)

For the past 10 years, I have been married to my wonderful wife Shruti. We have seven-year olds (twins!) – Eshaan and Reya. They are in public school in Highland Park (in the Spanish dual-language program). I attended the University of Michigan for my B.A. in Economics. I received my MBA in Marketing and Finance from the Kelley School of Business (Indiana University), and currently work in marketing. My hobbies include traveling, coaching my daughter and son’s baseball team, and running.

Why did you decide to run for Lake County Board?

It primarily came down to two things. First, my strong belief in the role of public service. I love living here and recognize that this is not by accident. It is because there are people that take time – often away from their families, jobs, and other responsibilities – to make sure we all have a community that we can appreciate. 

Second, I also felt that it is critical that people have choices in their representation. This seat was left unchallenged in 2012 and 2016. By running for this position, I hope to give the residents of District 12 an opportunity to vote for someone that may better align with their values, vision, and priorities for Lake County.

Has anything surprised you about your experience running for office?

I am not sure I would call it surprising, but very few people I speak to when going door-to-door have a good sense of what the county government does for residents, and the role of the board in administering the government. The county government consists of over 30 functions with 2,000 employees working on their behalf. From the court system, solid waste management, the Sheriff’s office, to the health department – to name just a few. Whoever is elected must do a much better job of ensuring their constituents understand the role that county government plays in their lives.

Which issues are you most focused on at this time?

There are three that I am most focused on right now. The first one is the environment, and specifically, climate change. It is the single biggest challenge we face. I would like to see the county government get to 100% clean energy by 2024. It is already happening at the municipal level right here in Lake County (Deerfield is the process of negotiating 100% clean energy for its residential customers). It is time the county government did the same. I also would like to see how we can make sustainability a part of our procurement plan. 50% of the county budget goes to services. We can start to ask our vendors and service partners to be committed with us on this issue.  

Second, I would like the county to continue to be fiscally responsible. When I go door-to-door to talk to residents, many comment (especially older residents) that they feel it is too expensive to live here. We need to balance delivering excellent services with making sure we are thoughtful about how much we are asking residents to contribute. 

Lastly, I would like to see the political process reformed. Frankly, there is too much money from mega-donors flowing into local campaigns. As an example, a candidate for county board can receive a contribution twice the size of someone running for the US Senate! It’s time to end this practice and make local government accountable to the people again – not just to a handful of large donors.

What do you think are the biggest challenges for our community going forward?

In addition to some of the issues I already identified, I think we need to focus on growing the county again. The county population and people employed has stayed flat (and has even been on a slight decline) for several years. This could lead to less investment in the community and fewer services over time. This is something that needs to be addressed. I believe Lake County can be the premier destination for families in the Chicago area. Addressing this issue will be high on my list when I join the board.

Please share a favorite local hangout or activity?

Over the last few years, I have been regularly participating in a 5:45 a.m. fitness class at the Highland Park Recreation Center. There are now about 40 of us that regularly do this and we have become friends. We have even dubbed ourselves the “5:45 Crew”. I actually now look forward to getting up at 5 a.m. to work out! I also enjoy getting to the public pools in the summer ( I swear my children were fish in a former life)! 

What else would you like our readers to know?

The only way we can win this seat is with your support. And everything will help – volunteering, requesting a yard sign, spreading the word on your social media accounts, and sharing your ideas on how we can improve local government. I also love hearing from voters and listening to their concerns. If you have a moment, please contact me – I’d love to hear from you!

Q & A with Sandy Hart

by

What is your official title and how long have you been in your current position?

I have served as the Commissioner on the Lake County Board (which also includes serving on the Forest Preserve Board) since December 2012. I also serve as the Chairwoman of the Lake County Board after being appointed by my colleagues in December 2018.

Can you please tell us a little about you and your background?

I have been married to Tom (who grew up in Lake Bluff) for 21 years!! We have three children (Emily, Katie, and Tommy); the girls are at LFHS and Tommy is at Lake Bluff Middle School.

I have a BA in Marketing from Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and an MBA in Marketing and Organizational Development from DePaul University.

After working for several years at Kraft Foods, I decided to stay home to raise my kids and I was able to do more volunteer work, like serving on the Lake Bluff Park District Board (2006-2012) and chairing the referendum for the new elementary school.

My hobbies are… hanging out with friends and family; pulling weeds out of our native prairie garden (which I love!!); bird watching; reading; and walking my dogs.

Why did you decide to run for office?

I believe very strongly in how a caring and connected community improves our quality of life, and how important it is for everyone to be involved in making Lake Bluff (and Lake County) a great place to live. I wanted to be involved in my children’s preschool so it made sense to run for the Park District Board.

As my kids got older, we ventured into our Forest Preserves and bike paths, and so I decided to run for the Lake County Board.

I love public service. I love being able to help someone with a problem, be it a stormwater issue, questions about assessments, zoning, etc. I love understanding why things work the way they do and seeing if we can find a more efficient, cost effective way to deliver services to residents.

Can you tell us something about your time in office?

It is extremely rewarding and also challenging! Issues that on the surface may seem simple are often quite complicated. I learn something new every single day, from my colleagues, residents, or the very talented people who work in Lake County Government or the Forest Preserves. I also love that every day is different. I can be walking through a ditch in someone’s yard to see their issue with flooding; take a tour of a health clinic; get briefed on a plan for a Forest Preserve; and meet with a non-profit regarding veteran services, all in one day. I feel extremely fortunate to do a job that I love. Even when dealing with complex problems on an evening or over the weekend, I really love it.

Has anything surprised you about your experience?

Two things surprised me the most. One is how much both entities, the Forest Preserve and LC Government, relies on volunteers. On the Lake County Board, we appoint over three hundred volunteers to positions across Lake County, from drainage districts to the Board of Health. Without these dedicated people, we wouldn’t be able to achieve what we do. At the Forest Preserves, our volunteers help us remove invasive species; teach children about nature; and collect seeds for restoration projects.

The other thing that surprised me is how slow some things must move. We want to consolidate and eliminate some taxing districts, and it is shocking how long that can take. As a result, we are looking into legislation to speed up the process.

Which issues are you most focused on at this time?

I am primarily focused on helping people who live with serious mental illness. We are working toward a Wellness Triage Center to give people in crisis a safe place to go for help. Often times, when law enforcement gets involved, they end up in jail or in the emergency room. We can follow national best practices and give an alternative that provides them with the care they deserve.

I am also focused on opportunities to reduce the number of taxing bodies through consolidation and dissolution, and how we can share services, both internally and with other governmental entities, to reduce costs.

What do you think are the biggest challenges for Lake County going forward?

We need to work on reducing the number of taxing bodies, and therefore property taxes, and helping people and communities with stormwater management issues.

Would you like to share a favorite local hangout or activity?

I have three favorite hangouts: uptown Lake Bluff; the beach, and wherever my friends and family are!

Is there anything else you would like our readers to know?

I would love readers to know how rewarding it is to do work that makes a difference in people’s lives. Please consider running, for office or helping a candidate who shares your values. I have yet to meet a single person who hasn’t thoroughly enjoyed giving back to their community. It’s a great way to meet dedicated people who want to make our town and county a great place to live and work.

Thank you Sandy for taking the time to share your experience and thoughts!