Minal Desai Appointed New Skokie Village Clerk, Succeeding Pramod Shah

SKOKIE, IL — Nearly six months after the former village clerk announced his retirement and more than four months since he stepped down, Skokie's mayor this month appointed a replacement to serve out the final year of his term.

Minal Desai was sworn in as village clerk at the April 15 meeting of the Skokie Village Board. Desai, currently the vice president of the Skokie Park District board, succeeds former Clerk Pramod Shah, who spent a decade in the full-time position until announcing his retirement in November.

Village officials solicited applications from those interested in serving as clerk through mid-December, and Shah officially stepped down at the start of the year.

Announcing Desai's appointment, Mayor George Van Dusen said Shah had been an excellent clerk in every way possible.

"The process of finding a replacement was not easy. There were 15 applicants and I narrowed the field to five and interviewed all five," Van Dusen said. "I've consulted with the members of the village board on a couple of occasions as well, soliciting their comments and questions. Background checks were done on three of the applicants."

Van Dusen said Desai had been involved in public affairs in the village for many years, including her time as a park district commissioner.

"Her business experience, coupled with her impressive civic engagement, makes her highly qualified," Van Dusen said. "It’s my pleasure to nominate her for village clerk."

Desai expressed her gratitude and commitment after she was sworn in by Cook County Circuit Court Judge Michael Weaver.

"I really did have something written up, but I honestly can’t even get the words out," Desai said. "I’m going to do my best and work really hard."

According to her application to become clerk, Desai is the event director for a Chicago-based company called EByn and a former business development consultant. She also previously worked for a bank.

Desai also speaks Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and Spanish, each at least at a conversational level, her application said.

Desai was elected to a six-year term on the Skokie Park District Board in 2019. She becomes the second member of the village board to make the move from the park district commissioner to village trustee following Khem Khoeun's election in 2021.

The village board approved Desai's appointment by a 6-0 vote, with one abstention. Trustee James Johnson, who also applied to become clerk and has already announced his campaign for the office next year, said he had to recuse himself due to a conflict of interest but nonetheless "wholeheartedly" welcomed the new clerk.

Desai steps into a role left by Shah, who spent four years as a village trustee before becoming clerk. The village clerk's office oversees functions like election management, voter registration and public assistance services.

It manages early voting, polling locations, absentee ballot applications and a 24-hour phone line for community assistance. The office also processes senior fare permit applications for local transit, offers notary services, accepts passport applications and handles real estate transfer tax payments.

Desai is set to serve through the next election in April 2025, when the position of village clerk, mayor and two at-large trustees will be on the ballot.