City Council Approves New Chief Legal Officer, Aurora's 1st Director Of Sustainability

AURORA, IL — Aurora City Council filled two roles during its regular meeting Tuesday: a new chief legal officer and the city's first director of sustainability.

Yordana Wysocki, who has a 20-plus-career in local government law, was appointed as the new chief legal officer, and Alison Lindburg — having spent nearly 20 years in the green building field — will serve as the director of sustainability. The City Council unanimously approved both hires.

Wysocki previously served as a partner at Hervas, Condon and Bersani, P.C., an Itasca-based firm specializing in local government law and litigation. She specializes in litigation management and strategies, regulatory compliance and employment relations.

In her new role, Wysocki will be tasked with providing day-to-day legal advice and counsel to elected officials and upper city management, reviewing contracts and other legal agreements, giving legal advice, and representing Aurora to other local governments and in legal actions, according to city officials.

"I'm very excited to join the City of Aurora," Wysocki said in a statement. "This is a wonderful next step in my career, and I am looking forward to being a part of such a dynamic team."

Lindburg comes to the City of Aurora after serving as the director of building codes and policy at the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, where she worked with several states and their governments to move toward decarbonization through energy efficiency policies, Aurora officials said.

As the city's first director of sustainability, Lindburg will lead Aurora's sustainability efforts through strategic planning, innovative programming and regional partnerships. Officials said she will also "look to establish" a sustainability plan, create a public bank or green investment mechanism to finance small- and large-scale projects, and propose new or updated sustainability-related ordinances.

Lindburg currently serves as a member of several boards and commissions, including the Illinois Energy Code Advisory Council, Illinois Building Energy Hub Advisory Board, Chicago Sustainable Development Policy Committee, and International Code Sustainability Membership Council.

"I'm honored to join the team here at the City of Aurora," Lindburg said in a statement. "I'm looking forward to bringing my expertise to the table to help the city develop long-term sustainability plans and policies."