EPCHS Alum In The Spotlight: Norm Anderson, Class Of 1980

EVERGREEN PARK, IL - While many proud Evergreen Park Community High School alums have made an impact nationally and worldwide, one man is doing it 100 percent locally.

Norman Anderson, currently a Village of Evergreen Park trustee and a 1980 EPCHS alum, has lived in Evergreen Park his entire life.

“I wanted to help the community,” Anderson said. “This is where I grew up, and I wanted to help the younger kids, and make it a place where families can enjoy for years to come.”

Anderson has been involved in his community for decades. He’s in his sixth year as village trustee, and serves as the chairman of the Evergreen Park Fire and Police Commission.

As chief building inspector for the Building and Zoning Department of Cook County, Anderson oversees all building inspections in unincorporated Cook County, manages revenues, attends court hearings and meets regularly with business leaders, contractors, residents and public officials, according to his bio on the Village of Evergreen Park website.

Through this role, Anderson has been a vital part of the Evergreen Plaza development and other new construction projects in the village.

Previously, Anderson was the president of the Evergreen Park Boys Club and still coaches football at Most Holy Redeemer.

Local sports is something that has been a part of Anderson’s life since his EPCHS days, when he was a three-sport athlete in football, basketball and baseball.

He was a running back on the Mustang football teams coached by John Geyer in the late 1970s, often being blocked for by then-future Major League Baseball player Donn Pall, a classmate of Anderson’s who helped anchor the offensive line.

“Our record didn’t show the talent we had, but we were big, and we were good,” Anderson remembers. “We went 3-6 (in 1979), but we did beat Lane Tech.”

Anderson remembers his teachers and friends at EPCHS the most.

“I enjoyed my time in high school,” he said. “It went by way too fast.”