Mark Coe, Margaret Horstman, Leonard Soffer,
incumbents running together as a slate
Backgrounds: Coe: Has run his own technology business for a quarter century, brings business knowledge to the board table. Horstman: Brings human resources/personnel experience; served on the Hephzibah Children’s Association board; social worker for Oak/Leyden Developmental Services. Soffer: CPA, brings financial expertise to the board table; involved in district 90 and 200 referendum campaigns and school board caucuses; PADS volunteer; former director of Oak/Leyden Developmental Services.
Priorities: All three tout progress made during the last six years in taking a very informal, small-town library and modernizing it, improving the budget structure, bringing more professionalism to staff, working through a period of turmoil and turnover, hiring a new executive director. Challenges include upgrading technology, improving the adult collection, selling bonds to pay for immediate capital improvement needs on the aging building, and preparing for a operations fund referendum as early as 2008.
Joan Cusack, challenger
Background: Longtime local realtor and River Forest resident; served on many local boards, including the Multiple Listing Service of Illinois, St. Luke, Fenwick, Trinity and Misericordia; served on the Lake Street Commercial Corridor Planning Committee; volunteer, Hines V.A. Hospital and Hephzibah.
Priorities: 1) Parking, something needs to be done about the lack of it because seniors can’t walk several blocks. Even an underground parking structure should be considered.
2) Communication: The adult community needs to be more aware of the programming available at the library and new additions to the collection.
3) Bring back computer education for seniors.
Quote: “The amount of available parking is miniscule. An immediate, exhaustive search for more space must be initiated.”
