VMA Endorsed

David Pope (Village President)

David Pope was first elected Village President in April 2005 and is now in his second term. Formerly a Principal with Price Waterhouse’s Strategy Consulting Practice, he is now a management consultant. His leadership exemplifies a thoughtful, fiscally responsible approach to village governance, emphasizing intergovernmental coordination, and improved results-based accountability. He serves on the U.S. Conference of Mayors leadership group and as Co-Chair of its Sustainability Task Force. He has served as a Village Trustee, an Oak Park Plan Commissioner and a founding Board Member of RAINN (national rape crisis hotline). David has an MBA from Northwestern and is married with two young children.

Ray Johnson (Village Trustee)

Ray Johnson was elected as a Village Trustee in April 2003 and came in first out of a field of ten candidates. Re-elected in 2007, he again garnered the most votes of any candidate for Village Trustee.

An Austin Boulevard resident, Mr. Johnson was the only candidate to be endorsed by both the Oak Leaves and the Wednesday Journal in 2003.

Trustee Johnson has had a very positive impact on Village Board goals, objectives and dynamics. His Board assignments have included Citizen Police Oversight, Zoning Board of Appeals, Public Works, Public Safety, and the Retail Rehabilitation Grant Committee.

Mr. Johnson also successfully worked with Senator Dick Durbin and advocated on behalf of the Village to restore proposed Community Development Block Grant funds.

He has also worked collaboratively with members of the District 97 Elementary School District and PTOs to support their legislative advocacy work on education funding reform.

A Trustee who does his homework, Mr. Johnson also keeps his career at the Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) on track. HSBC, the world’s third largest bank, keeps Mr. Johnson busy during the day as he enters his 23rd year of employment and the completion of his 2nd year in the Consumer Lending Marketing Department.

Jan Pate (Village Trustee)

Jan Pate is currently the Development Director at the West Cook YMCA in Oak Park. An Oak Park resident since 2000, her career background includes broadcast journalism, local government administration, national and international not-for-profit consulting, and humanitarian work in Kosovo. She has served on the Oak Park Community Relations Commission. She has two grown sons, Clifford and Blakeney, who make their homes in South Carolina.

Jon Hale (Village Trustee)

Jon Hale has been heavily involved in community affairs for most of the eleven years he has lived in Oak Park, with his wife Lynn Kamenitsa, who is a professor at NIU, son Vade (7) and daughter Nellie (5), who attend Beye Elementary School. Hale was a co-founder of Forum Oak Park, a grass-roots citizen group that follows key issues facing the community and strives to advocate for policy choices that are in the best interests of the entire village. Prior to that, he served on the Plan Commission for six years, and has been active in several other local organizations. Hale has a PhD in political science and has taught graduate-level courses in public policy analysis. He works as a portfolio manager for Morningstar Associates in downtown Chicago.

John Hedges (Village Trustee)

John Hedges has a wealth of experience in local governance and civic volunteerism. A 28-year resident of Oak Park, John served many years as the Executive Director of the Oak Park Park District and the Park District’s administrative office building on Madison Street bears his name. He also worked on staff for the Village of Oak Park and served as interim Village Manager. He is a former chairperson of the local chapter of Community Chest/United Way, and past president of the boards of the Oak Park Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Pleasant Home Foundation, and the Oak Park River Forest Rotary Club. He has served the local business community as Vice President of the Madison Street Business Association. John is currently retired.

Glenn Brewer (Village Trustee)

Glenn Brewer is a Community Affairs Specialist with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, focusing on fair lending regulations, community development and reinvestment opportunities, and fair housing law. He has prior experience in real estate and family law. His extensive community service includes his current roles as President of the Board of the Oak Park Regional Housing Center and Treasurer for the Board of Trustees of Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Before moving to Oak Park, he served on the Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Commission in Bellwood. Glenn and his wife have three children, one in college and two in Oak Park public schools.

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Colette Lueck (Village Trustee)

Colette Lueck was first appointed to the Village Board in 2008 before standing for election in April 2009. She is Managing Director for the Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership, coordinating statewide efforts to improve mental health services for children and families. Her 20 year career in community health provides skills in project and organizational management, interagency coalition building, and community leadership. She was named Oak Park’s “Volunteer of the Year” in 2006 for her outstanding community service, including Chair of the Oak Park Plan Commission, Chair of the OPRF High School PTO Liason Program, and member of the District 97 Finance Work Group. Colette and her partner have one son, a 2008 graduate of OPRF.

Theresa Powell (Village Clerk)

Theresa Powell has strong mangement and leadership skills honed in community and professional work. During 13 years in the health insurance industry, she revolutionized her department’s customer service by introducing new technology to streamline processes, make services accessible, and improve efficiency. As an aide U.S. Rep. Abner Mikva, she helped citizens resolve issues with the federal government. Her work with non-profit groups includes Alcuin Montessori, Dominican University, and the Arts and Business Council of Chicago. In Oak Park, she served on the Community Relations Commission and the Board of Health AIDS Committee. A 32-year resident of Oak Park, she was formerly Theresa Wedoff.