6 Candidates Seek Northbrook Village Board, Prez Race: 2025 Election

NORTHBROOK, IL — Two slates of candidates are set to square off in an election battle for Northbrook Village President and seats on the Village Board. On Tuesday's ballot, voters will weigh in on whether they support the positions of the Northbrook Caucus of 2025 or those of Northbrook Focused 2025.

Kathryn L. Ciesla is running for a second four-year term as Village President as a member of the former. She faces a challenge from Josh Kaplan, of Northbrook Focused 2025.

For three seats on the Northbrook Village Board, two current trustees — Joy Ebhomielen and Michelle Kohler — are running for reelection. Both candidates are part of the Northbrook Caucus of 2025. Also vying for a four-year term are Matt Cassidy (Northbrook Caucus of 2025), Laura Hochstein, Anthony Riccardi and Charles Zivin. Hochstein, Riccardi and Zivin are part of Northbrook Focused 2025. Each seat is for a four-year term.

Ahead of the election, Northbrook Patch provided questionnaires to all candidates on the ballot. Patch received responses from Northbrook Caucus of 2025 candidates, but not from Northbrook Focused 2025.

Ciesla, who has been an attorney at law since 1997, is seeking her second term as Village President. She has been an elected member of the Village Board since 2009.

"The most pressing issues facing our Village are maintaining a strong economy despite national economic challenges, improving infrastructure, including building three new facilities for police, fire and public works, sustainability, and housing affordability," Ciesla said in her Patch questionnaire.

Ciesla's opponent, Kaplan, is a small business owner and has lived in Northbrook for the past 15 years, according to the Northbrook Focused 2025 website.

"As the owner of Josh's Hot Dogs in west Northbrook, I have fostered a welcoming space where kids and parents alike feel at home — building bonds with residents through countless contributions to local schools, law enforcement, and children’s athletics," Kaplan said.

Ebhomielen is seeking reelection to the Village Board, to which she was first elected in 2021. She is a senior finance manager for Clinical Trial Payments at AbbVie.

"This job requires patience, experience, knowledge, and an exceedingly high level of involvement and commitment," Ebhomielen said in her Patch questionnaire. "I am confident that I already have these attributes and have shown that in the board meetings over the last four years."

Kohler has served on the Village Board since being appointed to a seat in 2023 following the resignation of former Trustee Muriel Collison. She has nearly 30 years of experience in marketing and business strategy.

"I really want to see smart and sustainable growth for Northbrook," Kohler said in her Patch questionnaire. "I also want to honor the character of the community and make sure this is done with foresight and care so that the community retains the parts that we all love."

Cassidy has been working in financial technology for the last 26 years. He is currently a member of the Northbrook School District 28 board of education.

"While there are a number of important topics in front of the Village Board, the area which requires the most focus at present is economic development," Cassidy said in his Patch questionnaire. "Residents have been asking for a more vibrant downtown since before I even moved here in 2011. I am supportive of the project getting underway right now to improve the infrastructure, including expanding space for outdoor dining, adding more shade trees, improving lighting and signage, and overall enhancement of the appearance of the neighborhood."

Hochstein is the founder of Mommy's Nite Out, a member-only women's group that holds events for moms to have fun at all over the North Shore.

"I would like to see Northbrook restored to its glory days when we had an even more robust downtown and Northbrook Court was the crown jewel of the Northern suburbs," Hochstein said on the Northbrook Focused 2025 website.

Riccardi is president and owner of William A. Randolph, Inc., a construction company.

"My long-standing relationships with real estate industry veterans provide me with a unique insight that our village board is currently lacking," Riccardi said on the Northbrook Focused 2025 website. "I would like to bring my forward-thinking experiences in the development industry and help lead Northbrook’s future as we address various development opportunities."

Zivin is a partner at Wolf Solovy & Zivin. He was born and raised in Northbrook.

"If elected, I promise to listen openly to the ideas, concerns, and suggestions of all Northbrook residents," Zivin said on the Northbrook Focused 2025 website. "I am committed to implementing meaningful improvements that respect our budgetary constraints, ensuring transparency in decision-making, and serving as a dedicated, responsive Trustee with a focus on enhancing Northbrook for all who call it home."