Skokie Swears In New Mayor, Elected Officials

SKOKIE, IL — Skokie Village Hall was packed to the brim Monday night as the community gathered to witness the swearing in of six trustees, the Village clerk and the mayor.

New Mayor Ann Tennes was met with enthusiasm as she was sworn in.

The trustees that were sworn in were at-large trustees Keith Robinson and Gail Schechter, as well as Kimani Levy in District 1; Alison Pure-Slovin in District 2; Lissa Levy in District 3; and James Iverson in District 4.

Minal Desai was also sworn in as village clerk.

After taking their oaths of office, each elected official gave short statements in front of the audience.

"I would like to thank my fellow new board members for their love and care for our community and their willingness to serve. Together, let's establish an atmosphere of respect, trust, transparency and heartfelt collaboration that centers on listening to the community. All aspects of the community, the boards and commissions, our faith leaders, the wonderful nonprofits and our government partners, everyone who contributes to making our community as rich and strong as it is. We must listen to the community, to each other, and to our dedicated, talented village staff," Tennes said at the meeting.

In many of their comments, the new elected officials addressed the current political climate in the U.S. and how they plan to best serve the Village during the turbulent time. Schechter stressed the importance of hearing diverse perspectives in a non-violent and mutually supportive way.

"While we're no longer managing the global crisis of COVID-19 like we did before, we are undeniably facing another epidemic, a national crisis of hate, division and misinformation," Robinson said during his comments. "That kind of behavior is not leadership. It's hurt masked with power."

Going forward, many officials urged the community to remember the importance of staying engaged with local politics in Skokie. Every new official said they plan to work together with the community to achieve important milestones for the Village.

"You elected us, and we appreciate it, but we need your voices. We need you to show up at these meetings, and I want you to look at the diversity of our community," Pure-Slovin said. "It is astounding to see how many people have come here tonight and so grateful for that, but don't go away."