Meet New Lenox Village Trustee Candidate Brian O'Leary

NEW LENOX, IL — The upcoming election is less than a month away, and early voting has already begun. In New Lenox, one of the contested local races is the race for village trustee. There are three open spots on the board in the upcoming election on April 2. Brian O'Leary is one of the four candidates running for a position.

O'Leary, his wife Karen and their two daughters, have lived in New Lenox for 20 years. He is a commercial real estate executive; and he has Certified Shopping Center Manager and Certified Retail Property Executive designations from the International Council of Shopping Centers.

O'Leary has also served as president of the Bluestone Bay Homeowners Association and as a board member of the South Suburban College Scholarship Foundation.

"I am running for village trustee, as I want to be part of the change I want to see here in New Lenox," O'Leary said. "I want to give back to my community and make my community a better place to live."

O'Leary said his skills in real estate, including developing strategies to preserve and improve property values, marketing, and stabilizing portfolios, will transfer over well to the role of village trustee.

"...I will work with the board and community to ensure the quality of life we now enjoy in New Lenox continues to improve for everyone by insuring the village remains desirable and affordable to live in, to raise their families in, to return to live in and to remain in as long as they want to," O'Leary said.

He also plans to help implement the 2018 Comprehensive Plan for the village, and believes his expertise in real estate will help.

"My expertise in developing, managing and operating complex commercial assets along with higher education, corporate campuses and municipal/public institutions will allow us to minimize the risk and cost to the village and its residents while still providing superior service and full amenities to our residents," O'Leary said.

O'Leary is the only newcomer running for village trustee and thinks his fresh viewpoint will also help the village.

"As a new board member and commercial real estate executive, I have a fresh and unbiased viewpoint along with a unique perspective and relevant skillsets to understand the economic strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats ahead of us," he said.

For more information, you can visit O'Leary's Facebook page.

There are three open positions on the New Lenox village board in the April 2 election. The other candidates are incumbents David Butterfield, Doug Finnegan and Keith Madsen.

If you are a candidate in the upcoming April 2 election, you can email andrea.earnest@patch.com for a candidate questionnaire.