Election 2013: Joan Hoigard

Name: Joan Hoigard

Position Sought: Village of La Grange Trustee

Campaign Contact Information: 
www.facebook.com/JoanForLGTrustee

What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?: My most important priority would be to seek to ensure that the Board's priorities are in alignment with the residents' priorities. I would like to find ways to more effectively engage the community in establishing goals, priorities and accountabilities for Village government.

Family Members: Husband, Kurt; 2 daughters, one in 5th grade at St. Francis Xavier Day School, one in 8th grade at Park Junior High

Education: 1984 Illinois Institute of Technology, Bachelor's Degree, Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics

Current Occupation and Employer: Currently a full-time parent, but my background is in R&D, with 15+ years working as an Engineer and an Engineering Project Manager.

Political Party Affiliation: Although I am running as an Independent candidate, I support the candidacies of Mike Horvath and Jeff Tucek for Trustee, and Lisa Sher for Clerk.

Why are you seeking office?: I am running for Trustee because I think it is important to have a diverse set of skills and viewpoints on the Board of Trustees. As a long-time resident, I have a deep appreciation for the many ways in which our town has blossomed in recent decades thanks to the hard work and dedication of all the members of our community: the residents, the businesses, the schools, the churches, the various volunteer organizations, supported by local government. La Grange is successful because of all of its people, so I feel it is important to have a diversity of skills and opinions represented on the Board. My engineering background will allow me to bring a practical, logical, analytical approach to problem-solving; and coming from outside the existing system, I will bring a fresh perspective to discussions.

What sets you apart from the other candidates (if applicable)?: There are a variety of issues which come before the Board of Trustees, so I would urge residents to take advantage of the variety of backgrounds and experience of all the candidates when deciding how to populate the board. My background is in R&D, working as an engineer and engineering project manager. I would bring an analytical, practical, detail-oriented viewpoint to the board at a time when there are critical infrastructure, traffic and safety issues on the horizon. The skills I would bring would complement the legal and financial backgrounds of the existing board members.

What are the other issues you plan to address in this position, and how?: The 47th Street/East Ave Intersection project is an important issue the Village needs to stay on top of. The proposed bypass/underpass project would be very disruptive to our community and only increase the potential for higher cut-through traffic on a road that is already dangerous to pedestrians. The Village should take a proactive role in lobbying for a solution which maintains the character of our community and enhances safety for our residents.

Please add any other information pertinent to your campaign: Although I am running as an independent candidate, I support the candidacies of Mike Horvath and Jeff Tucek for Trustee, and Lisa Sher for Clerk, because the four of us share the common belief that La Grange’s best days are ahead of us, and that by applying the principles of Innovation, Accountability, and Transparency, La Grange government can work better for YOU.