The Boys' Club, Oak Lawn Edition

At a special Oak Lawn Board of Trustees meeting held July 13, 2021, Tom Phelan, 6th District Trustee, was named the Oak Lawn Village Manager. Upon the resignation of Mr. Phelan from his Trustee seat, Mayor Vorderer and 4 of the Trustees immediately approved the appointment of Ralph Soch to the District 6 Trustee seat.

And that is how the Boys' Club works. Mr. Phelan had been out of the Trustee seat for less than an hour before he was replaced by another member of an exclusive men’s club which is located in District 6.

This is not a personal attack on Mr. Soch. I have never met Mr. Soch and, per an email from Mr. Vorderer, Mr. Soch is “competent”. I instead question the process for choosing a replacement.

Mayor Vorderer and the Village of Oak Lawn Board of Trustees missed a valuable opportunity to reach out to the District 6 community in a collaborative effort to find a replacement for the District 6 vacancy. Mr. Phelan has an extensive email list through which he could have sent an invitation for community members to nominate possible candidates. Mayor Vorderer could have held a community meeting to discuss the needs of District 6 and what type of leader would best meet the needs of the community. At the very least, the position could have been posted on the Village of Oak Lawn website.

But the Mayor and the Oak Lawn Board of Trustees either have no interest in the voices of its citizens or are turning a blind eye to the women, people of color, and non-Catholic voters who live without representation within the boundaries of District 6. The Mayor and the Board could have taken the time to look for a candidate with passion, one with a different background and world view---and also competent.

The entire process reeks of backroom dealing and the Ol’ Boys’ Club. The resignation of Mr. Phelan and the appointment of Mr. Soch both happened in a one hour meeting. Why the rush? Were other candidates suggested or discussed? Were any candidates interviewed or vetted in any way? All unknown, as the minutes for the July 13 Special Meeting have yet to be posted.

In a meeting with me about this issue, Mayor Vorderer told me that the decision was his to make and he felt he made the best choice. I respectfully disagree with his process. Mayor Vorderer and the Board of Trustees continue to perpetuate the Boys’ Club, Oak Lawn style.