Cook County Republican Party Chairman Gary Skoien has appointed South Oak Park resident Richard Willis as chair of the Oak Park Township GOP organization. The appointment, one of three announced last Thursday, will complete the term left vacant by the death in September of Steven Meyer.
According to Skoien’s assistant Tom Swift, Skoien was ready to name another individual to the post before meeting with Willis.
“He changed his mind after talking to Rick,” said Swift. “He was very impressed.”
Willis, who holds an MBA from DePaul University, is a certified public accountant and works as an assistant controller at Abbott Laboratories in the north suburbs. He has been active in Republican politics in the village since before moving here 21 years ago. Willis was a Oak Park Township trustee for 12 years, serving from 1985 to 1997, and is a past member of the Community Mental Health Board, Oak Park Township Senior Citizens Services and Oak Park Township Youth Services Committees.
Prior to moving to Oak Park, Willis worked for the 1980 Reagan/Bush campaign. He was first appointed an Oak Park GOP precinct committeeman by then GOP Township Chairman Dean Sodaro in 1984.
Swift said Friday that ideology was less important in Skoien’s decision than a demonstrated capacity and willingness to actively build an effective organization.
“You’ve got to get election judges and petitions out,” he said.
Organization building, said Willis, is exactly the thing on which he intends to focus. Willis credits Meyer with reinvigorating a long moribund township organization. During his tenure, said Willis, Meyer oversaw the establishment of a Republican presence he said Oak Park hadn’t seen in years. Meyer’s approach, including fundraising, the aggressive placement of lawn signs and an active web site, will continue under his stewardship, Willis said.
“First we have to go back to the grass roots,” he said. “Personal contact makes a difference. It’s important you have individuals representing the campaign knocking on doors and talking to the voters.”
Willis said he intends to identify and recruit such people, especially younger people, who are willing to work with him to further the goals of the Republican Party, saying “We’re going to work hard in training these individuals and showing there’s a Republican presence in Oak Park.”
Asked if he intended to seek to attract more moderate voters as part of his strategy to woe the generally more liberal voting population in Oak Park, Willis said he didn’t believe there was any such distinction in the GOP.
“The GOP represents the whole range of views,” he said. “There’s no conservative or moderate. A lot of different opinions are appreciated (in the GOP).”
Les Golden, who had sought the township chairmanship until two weeks, ago, said Monday he was suprised by Willis’s selection. Golden said Willis was defeated by Paul Sengpiehl for the post in 1994, and had not been a vactor in village Republican circles since.
“He’s a very decent, bright guy,” said Golden. “But he’s always traveling (internationally) for his job.” Golden said that the Oak Park GOP needed a full time presence.
“Now that Judy Barr Topinka has thrown her hat in the ring, we have a really viable chance at the governship,” he said. “We need someone able to devote the time to get the vote out.”
However Willis’ term as chairman runs only four months, through the March 2006 General Primary. He will have to stand for election to a full four year term.
“Like anybody else, he has to circulate petitions and get on the ballot and get elected,” said Swift. “(But) this gives him a bit of an incumbent advantage.”
