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?

Working with intentionality my desire is to assist the Mayor and Village Board to be able to  better serve the residents of the Village of Maywood through the Clerk’s office. Embracing a  culture of positivity, the Clerk’s office will communicate with residents and business owners to  ensure their needs are being addressed. Having the experience of being a former Maywood  Deputy Village Clerk and having a background in administration and communication, will be  valuable and essential skills to running an efficient Clerk’s office. 

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

The experience of holding membership on and chairing many diverse boards and groups has  allowed me to practice my listening skills. The differing interests make for a more  comprehensive discussion and realistic outcomes.  

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

Transparency means having openness and honesty. All discussions and actions made on behalf  of the governmental body are carried out in public. The Clerk’s office, with updated technology can be a resource to help keep the public informed. 

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?

A Social media presence is important in helping to get information to the public in real time,  however it is just as important to be able to dialogue with residents one-on-one, in person and  by phone, as well as through print media.  

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

To encourage its residents to actively participate in its government block clubs can be  encouraged. Continuing to provide access to Village Board meetings via the internet can help  promote participation. Civic committees are also helpful fostering community engagement.

6. What do you feel are the three biggest issues facing Maywood, and how do you intend to address them as Clerk? 

1. Village Debt – assist in developing programs to bring in new revenue and encourage strategic  planning to lay out goals and a timeline to reduce the debt. 

2. Business & Economic Development – provide information to interested persons on how they  may be part of economic development. Help to promote activities to help address business  growth and sustainability.  

3. Safety – work with the existing village departments to engage residents when possible,  encourage development of block clubs and other citizen groups.

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

Equity is practicing fairness and impartiality. There is an art to providing services/resources based on individual needs. One program for all would not provide equity and we should seek to  find out what the needs of the community are and then help provide/design solutions to fit the  needs. 

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

The outreach to connect with all citizens for their feedback needs to be unconventional.  Barriers could be language, lack of time and a reluctance to publicly voice an opinion. Some  ways to solicit feedback can be through survey, small groups and civic committees. 

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

There are and have been many influential Maywoodians, to name a couple…Former Mayor and  businessman, Donald L. Williams Sr believed that everyone has a contribution and duty to  serve; he also believed in the importance of turning the dollar (keeping local dollars in the  community as long as possible). Although not a Maywood resident but a longtime staunch  Maywood community activist, former PAEC Educator, Shirley Nagel was an advocate for special  needs children and young adults; she helped to instill confidence and cultivated their skills. She  promoted diversity and inclusion. Both promoted excellence, honesty and integrity, service  above self. This is model I follow now and intend to in future service. As an elected official I will seek to promote a culture of positivity and a willingness to listen and help provide solutions.

10. What do you feel is the most important function of the Clerk? What steps will you take to improve or expand community engagement with the office of the Clerk? 

The Village Clerk is the guardian of official records and ordinances. However, the Clerk should  also be a major resource for residents and point of information for services. The Village Clerk  performs many other functions as required by the Village Board of Trustees including recording  of meeting minutes, issuing certifications and oaths of office for officials and committee  members, providing citizens with resources and public information. A review of all the current  duties performed by the Clerk’s office is in order, then a discussion with the Village Board to  determine additional ways residents may be served. There are ways to promote community  engagement as stated above and avenues we will explore to bring additional (new) revenue  into the Village. 

11. 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.

The village website needs upgrading to be more user friendly. A plus is the new My Civic App to  be launched soon and will increase citizen participation. The. Village Hall and essential offices  need to be physically accessible as well. Whenever possible we should use multiple ways to  provide information to our citizens, for those who like a virtual format as well as newsletters  mailed and emailed.

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[The above answers were supplied on 2/15/21.]