Term Of Will Co. Forest Preserve Board President Split Between 2 Women

PLAINFIELD, IL — Two women were elected to split the term of president of the Forest Preserve District of Will County Board of Commissioners during a reorganization meeting Monday.

The result of the election differs from what might have been expected. This time around, the term will be split up between Meta Mueller, an Aurora Democrat, and Annette Parker, a Crest Hill Republican. Both women have served on the Board since 2018 and 2014, respectively.

The pair will also both also have a chance to serve as vice president. While Mueller is president for the next year, Parker will serve as her vice president. The following year, they'll switch titles.

Officials cited a split between Republicans and Democrats on the 22-member Board as the reason for the divided term.

In her new role, Mueller replaces former President Joe VanDuyne, of Wilmington, who will become chair of the operations committee. He said serving as Board president was "one of the greatest experiences I've had in the political world" and thanked staff for their assistance during his tenure.

Here's how the rest of the election turned out:

• Raquel Mitchell, of Bolingbrook, was elected secretary.
• Sherry Newquist, of Steger, was elected treasurer as well as chair of the Retiree Health Insurance Trust Fund Committee.
• Jim Richmond, of Mokena, was elected chair of the finance committee.
• Katie Deane-Schlottman, of Joliet, was elected chair of the ad hoc committee.

During the meeting, commissioners also made some changes to the meeting schedule that will go into effect in January.

The start time for monthly Board meetings was pushed back half an hour to start at 9 a.m. instead of 9:30 a.m. Meetings will continue to be held on the second Thursday of each month at the Will County Office Building, 302 N. Chicago St. in Joliet.

The schedule for committee meetings was altered, too. They will now take place on the first Thursday of each month — switched from Wednesday — and will be held at the Will County Office Building instead of the Forest Preserve's Sugar Creek Administration Center. Meetings will begin with operations at 9 a.m., followed by finance and ad hoc.