Mayor Appoints Juan Geracaris To Evanston City Council

EVANSTON, IL — Mayor Daniel Biss on Wednesday revealed his pick to succeed former 9th Ward councilmember Cicely Fleming, who resigned earlier this month.

Juan Geracaris has lived and worked in Evanston for more than 29 years, according to a biography provided by the city. He is a founding member and the current vice president of the local nonprofit Evanston Latinos, a co-founder of the group Evanston Skates, and he has served in several roles at Oakton Elementary School, where his two sons are students.

"My neighbors probably know me as the guy who lives on the corner who has the large garden with all the chickens," Geracaris said last week at a forum with six other residents seeking the appointment. "I've done a lot of different things in the community, and I've worked with a lot of different people to help our community."

Geracaris, a native of Argentina, graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in mechanical engineering. He currently works for the university as the senior network engineer in the Kellogg School of Management.

"I am pleased to appoint Juan Geracaris as Evanston's next 9th Ward city councilmember," Biss said in a statement announcing the appointment. "Juan has demonstrated his commitment to making Evanston more affordable, accessible, and sustainable through extensive community involvement. I am grateful for his willingness to serve, and I extend my deepest thanks to the wonderful candidates who applied for this position."

Geracaris said he was thankful for the opportunity to serve 9th Ward residents and the greater Evanston community.

"I will do my best to make sure that everyone's voice is heard," Geracaris said in the announcement.

The seat on the City Council opened up this month after former 9th Ward Ald. Cicely Fleming resigned about six months into her second term in office, citing the negative effects of expectations of residents, time requirements, "unhealthy work culture of city hall, and unproductive tension on the Dias."

Because Fleming's unexpired term has more than 28 months remaining, voters next year will determine who serves out the second half of her term. If enough candidates file paperwork to run, a primary will be held Feb. 28, 2023, ahead of the general elections scheduled for April 4, 2023.

One of the applicants for the appointment has already announced plans to run in that contest. Sebastian Nalls, the Purdue University undergraduate who ran for mayor in last year's primary election, issued a statement declaring his candidacy for next year's consolidated municipal elections.

If Geracaris' appointment is confirmed by a majority of councilmembers at Monday's meeting, he would become the first Latino to serve on the Evanston City Council, according to city staff. His fellow Evanston Latinos board member, Stephanie Mendoza, is the first Latino to sit on the dais as an elected official.

In his application, Geracaris identified his goals in the job as the selection of a city manager who reflects the values of the community, improving the accessibility of city service for Spanish speakers, keeping Evanston affordable for working class households, investing in solar energy for the city and making streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians, according to city staff.

"My main focus is I want to keep Evanston affordable for everyone," Geracaris said at last week's candidate forum.

"This is a town I want everyone to experience and stay here. [My priorities include] working on affordable housing initiatives, and being mindful of the impact of decisions, always taking things and looking at your decisions with an equity lens. Things on the surface might appear great, but you don't know what the effect might be to others," he said. "I don't want anyone to have to move from Evanston based on a decision that I made. Especially in the pandemic, there are a lot of families who are struggling, so I want to advocate for those people."