Winnetka Caucus Council Names Wally Greenough Chair

The Winnetka Caucus Council has named its new officers for 2016.

They are: Wally Greenough (Chair), Vicki Apatoff (Vice-Chair), Blake Nickle (Communications), Chris Hurley (Rules), Anne Wilder (Village Candidates), Peter Robinson (Village Platforms), Erica Chesney (Schools), Jane Saccaro (Parks) and Bob Leonard (Library). The only holdover is Tom Maentz, reprising his role as Treasurer.

The Caucus Council, which has operated for more than 100 years, is made up of roughly 60 residents (representing all of the voting districts in Winnetka) who volunteer their time to select candidates and suggest platforms for the various governing bodies. Those candidates and platforms are then presented for questioning, discussion and approval at the annual Town Meeting, which is open to all residents.

This year, the Caucus must find candidates for positions on all four boards as well as draft platforms for each.

The Village Council will be addressing the One Winnetka proposal and storm water relief, according to a news release.

“The Parks Board is working on the Lakefront Master Plan. The Library and School Boards are wrestling with the best allocation of their resources. The Caucus exists to provide community input on all of those issues.”

“The more people who participate, the lighter everyone’s load and the better the end result,” Greenough said. “The Caucus prides itself on being inclusive and transparent and providing a vital check and balance to our government leadership.”

According to Greenough, the annual turnover of membership on the Council guarantees a constant flow of new voices and fresh ideas.

“We’re always looking for and welcome new members,” he said. “The Caucus system was designed 100 years ago to reduce the divisiveness and partisanship of local politics. It has served the Village well. We are determined to carry on that tradition.”