Mokena Honors Representative Margo McDermed

MOKENA, IL — At its Monday meeting, Mayor Frank Fleischer and the Mokena Village Board read a proclamation honoring 37th District Representative Margo McDermed, who announced her retirement in 2019 and finished her term in office this month.

McDermed was first elected in 2014, and served the 37th District, which includes Mokena, until her retirement this month. Before she was elected to the Illinois General Assembly, McDermed served as Frankfort Township Trustee and Township Clerk, as well as Commissioner of the Will County Board, the proclamation states. During her time at the township, she introduced early voting for registered voters and organized over 125 years of township records.

McDermed also co-founded and served as one of the first presidents of the Mokena School District 159 Educational Foundation, according to the proclamation.

As a representative, McDermed created and chaired the Sexual Assault Evidence Tracking and Reporting Commission "to study tracking of sexual assault evidence kits in order to speed the testing process and to prevent kits from being lost," the proclamation states.

"This has always been my village home," McDermed said. "It's wonderful to come full circle; to being a young family coming in to the community back when there were 4,800 people and growing up with my family and with the village until we're kind of the 21st century happening place that we are."

Republican Tim Ozinga was sworn in as the new 37th District Representative earlier this month.