Jami E. Bay Announces Candidacy for Highland Park City Council

Jami E. Bay, a 20 plus-year resident of Highland Park, current Commissioner on the Highland Park Zoning Board of Appeals, former member of the Park District of Highland Park’s Advisory Board, licensed Illinois attorney since 1983, and owner of Love’s Yogurt, has announced his candidacy for Highland Park’s City Council.

Jami, his wife, Alisa Bay, and their twin sons, Joshua and Nathan, have lived in Highland Park since 2000, but Jami has been part of the Highland Park business community for more than 35 years as owner of Love’s Yogurt at The Shops on Elm Place. From the moment his boys were born, Jami began making plans to move to Highland Park, knowing that the vibrant city where he worked would be the first choice where he and his family should reside.

“There is no place quite like Highland Park,” says Bay, who grew up in Skokie, received his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and graduated from Loyola University School of Law in 1983 (Juris Doctor, with Special Recognition). “My family and I immediately became immersed in all that Highland Park has to offer. Moving to Highland Park was one of the best decisions of my life.”

Since purchasing a home in the Braeside area, Bay has been active in the community, not only as a business owner and public servant, but also as a parent-coach for his sons’ various sports teams (including AYSO soccer and the Park District of Highland Park’s baseball and basketball teams). Joshua and Nathan attended North Suburban Synagogue Beth El pre-school, Braeside Elementary School, Edgewood Middle School and then Highland Park High School. When Joshua and Nathan were students at HPHS (they are currently sophomores in college – attending the University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin, respectively), Bay was asked to be and served as a judge for the DECA International Business Competition, for multiple years.

Unanimously chosen and appointed by Mayor Nancy Rotering and the Highland Park City Council, Bay currently serves on the Zoning Board of Appeals, where he has earned a reputation for fairness by giving his respect and attention to those who appear before the Commission. He is President and CEO of Bay Properties, Ltd., where he has experience in property development and conversion, as well as property management. Bay is a licensed real estate broker and an active member of the North Shore Board of Realtors (NSBAR). A believer in the importance of giving back, Bay is a founding member and former co-President of Progressive Services Network (PSN), a non-profit charity devoted to providing assistance to young adults (and their families) with special needs.

When asked why he wanted to run for Highland Park City Council, Bay stated, “These are unusual times. It is more important now than ever before to be involved in our community and to strive and work to insure a better future for our children and our children’s children.”

“Public service and government have always been said to begin at the local level and that is as true now as ever before,” he added. “There are and will be challenges ahead and while I do not pretend to have all the answers, I believe that when confronted with an issue, I do a good job of identifying the right questions to ask and how to proceed to get the necessary answers,” he continued. “I’ve learned quite a bit about the City of Highland Park by listening to and talking with the people who live here. I would certainly relish the opportunity to learn even more and be able to make a difference where appropriate.”

The Highland Park City Council election is April 6, 2021. For more information, please contact Jami Bay at JamiBayforCityCouncil@gmail.com. You can also find Jami on Facebook@JamiBayforCityCouncil.