See Who Wants To Be Elmhurst Alderman

Elmhurst IL

28 July, 2021

9:23 AM

Description

ELMHURST, IL — Seven men and two women have applied for the vacant Ward 5 position on the Elmhurst City Council. They are vying to fill the seat long held by Scott Levin, who was elected mayor in April. The nine candidates have submitted their applications to the city, which Elmhurst Patch obtained through a public records request. Two of the applicants are vocal in the dispute over a Ward 5 restaurant's proposed parking lots. The mayor has the power to appoint replacements, with the council's approval. The mayor could nominate someone as early as Monday's City Council meeting. Ward 5 is in central Elmhurst and includes the Spring Road commercial district, Lincoln Elementary School and Pioneer Park. The other Ward 5 alderman is Tina Park. The seat in question is up for election in April 2023. Here is information from the applications about the nine candidates, with links for the documents: Willem Caster — A lifelong resident of Elmhurst, he is a communications specialist for DePaul University athletics. He has worked with youth groups as part of the YMCA. Caster, a 2019 York High School graduate, was a write-in candidate for mayor in the April election. He is a sports communication major, with a concentration in journalism, at DePaul. "It's important to me to serve my community and be an active member," he said in his application. "The 5th ward has been a great place to live for the last 20 years, and I feel that I can best represent this ward."Ann Donohue — She has been a resident of Elmhurst for 51 years, since she was 2. She is retired after 20 years from Baxter International. In her last four years at Baxter, she was the director of human resources compliance, in which she oversaw issues for nearly 15,000 employees across the United States. She has a law degree from DePaul University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois. She is a member of the Immaculate Conception parish. "We are four generations of Elmhurst strong with kids at York and a mom at Lexington Square," she said in her application. "After focusing fully on my work and family for so many years, I now have the luxury of giving back to my hometown."Grant Dungan — A 25-year resident of Elmhurst, Dungan is the sales manager for Delivery First in Elmhurst. He belongs to Elmhurst Eagles, Sons of the Legion and Knights of Columbus. He has a bachelor's degree in political science from Northern Illinois University. Recently, he has been vocally opposed to Roberto's Ristorante's proposal for parking lots in the Spring Road commercial district. He was a write-in candidate for alderman in the April election. "I understand what it takes to be a 5th ward alderman and the issues that are at hand. Being in Elmhurst almost my entire life, I know a lot of people that have concerns to our area. People have always asked me to run and be involved," he said in his application. Michael Novak — A five-year resident of Elmhurst, he is a product manager at FIS. He has a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Illinois State University. He has been a USA Hockey referee for 14 years. His officiating includes games involving the Elmhurst Chiefs House League and Elmhurst YMCA. He has recently been speaking out against Roberto's Ristorante's proposal for parking lots in the Spring Road commercial district. The issue is going through the city's zoning process. "I have recently become concerned over the lack of communication and availability from our City Council and various boards," he said in his application. "I want to be part of the solution to some of the problems that my fellow citizens of Elmhurst are experiencing, and be part of the future of our wonderful city."James Nudera — A 22-year resident of Elmhurst, he recently retired after 38 years as a teacher. According to his LinkedIn page, he was most recently a driver's education teacher at Naperville Central High School for the last two years. For two decades before that, he was a teacher and head football coach at Oak Park and River Forest High School. He has also been the head football coach at Prospect and Marist high schools. He received a bachelor's degree in physical education from North Central College and a master's degree in educational leadership from Michigan State University. "I am an organized, committed individual who will research solutions to make rational decisions," he said. Deborah Orth — A 23-year resident of Elmhurst, she is a project assessment administrator at Elgin Community College. There, she wrote the institution's equity plan, with a commitment to close equity gaps in five years. She has a bachelor's degree in sociology from Purdue University and a master's degree in sociology from DePaul University. She was active in the PTA at Lincoln Elementary and Bryan Middle schools. In her neighborhood, she said she has been called the "block captain" or "block president." "In 2019, when my son graduated from York Community High School, so did most of my activities! I thrive on being involved and was very fulfilled by my various activities along the way. After a little break and a long quarantine, it is time to get active again," she said in her application.Robert Peachey — A 25-year resident of Elmhurst, he is the assistant vice president of underwriting for construction at Allied World. He received his bachelor's degree in finance and insurance at Illinois State University. He was a football coach for Visitation Catholic School from 2014 to 2017. "I think I could write a book on why Elmhurst means so much to me and why I want to see it continue to flourish. I'm very proud to say I'm from the city of Elmhurst because people that know of the town, respect it," he said in his application. "Simply put, I'd like to volunteer my time, knowledge and work ethic because I know that there were Aldermen who did that for me."Richard Radtke — A 55-year resident of Elmhurst, he works in night security for Cantigny Park in Wheaton. He has been a security guard for nearly two decades. He received a bachelor's degree in biology from Mount Senario College, a bachelor's degree in telecommunications management from DeVry and an associate's degree in criminal justice from the College of DuPage. He was an agriculture-forestry technician for the U.S. Peace Corps in Kenya from 1992 to 1994. "I have been a resident of Elmhurst for many years and want to help by filling this open position in order to give my education and experience to the citizens of our community," he said in his application.Michael Scarsella — An 11-year resident of Elmhurst, he is the project manager at Columbus Vegetable Oils in Des Plaines. He was previously a commercial banking vice president at LaSalle Bank in Chicago. Among other things, he has been an Elmhurst YMCA basketball coach and an Elmhurst AYSO soccer coach. He received a bachelor's degree in business administration from Marquette University in Milwaukee. In his application, he said he and his wife care deeply for Elmhurst. "We've made an effort to 'think local.' We've supported our local businesses and schools, as well as volunteered our time to a variety of local organizations," he said in his application.