Jacqueline Jeffery: Candidate Profile

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: Carol StreamWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Carol Stream parksAge: 30Family: I am happily married to my husband Jaymin for 7 years. We have two children, Addison 3.5, and Lincoln 1.5, and are expecting a baby in June.Occupation: I am currently a part time administrative assistant at the Technology Center of DuPageEducation: I obtained a Bachelor of Science in Finance at Illinois State University in 2002.Civic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 At the last election, I supported and voted for the referendum that passed. The referendum included the purchase of land from the Village of Carol Stream located at Town Center to build a new recreation center using bond funds. Prior to working part time, I was previously employed at a property and construction management company as the Executive Assistant to the CFO. I have the ability to analyze contracts used in projects such as the hiring of contractors to legal purchases and sales agreements. I want to see the recreation center project through to insure it is in line with the want and needs of the residents#146; of Carol Steam. I believe my previous employment experiences will be a good asset in the recreation center planning and development project.Key Issue 2 The main issue facing the Carol Stream Park district is the development of the new recreation center. The current board members and executive faculty are planning development with the intent of obtaining LEED certification. Some residents show concern that the LEED certification is too costly, however, I believe there is a lot of potential for cost savings using the methods and technology required to obtain LEED certification. There are additional upfront costs, however, they are offset with lower maintenance costs, available grants, and the Park District will gain positive publicity as one of the lead players in obtaining certification.Key Issue 3 The Carol Stream Park District has been working with engineers on the design and development of new sports parks, such as McCaslin Park, on current park district property. I believe with Carol Stream#146;s development of this sport park, the current sport leagues have the opportunity to be taken to a higher level through sponsoring of tournaments and providing Carol Stream with an improved image by having a high class facility and exceptional programing. I would like to see this project through to its fullest potential.Questions Answers What programs aren#146;t paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?I would like to become more aquatinted with the financing concerns that the current board and staff deal with daily. Once I have a better understanding of the programs, I can utilize my finance degree and work experience, to assist in cost and benefit analysis to make well informed decisions on programs that are in need of improvement. The park district is always advancing and changing. The decision to eliminate the #147;interactive game#148; equipment was a great decision, as the program did not create as much of a following as anticipated. I would like to be a part of the programming decisions and the development of new projects in hopes that they will be successful, however, if they are not, I am not opposed to admitting failure, re-evaluating the situation and improving or changing direction.Is there any additional open space the park district needs to acquire? Please describe.The Carol Stream Park District is in the process of creating an agreement with the Village of Carol Stream to acquire property near Town Center for the development of a recreation center. At this time I believe the Park District should focus on seeing the purchase and project through as it will provide major benefits and opportunities to the citizens of Carol Stream.Are there any unmet recreational needs? If yes, what are they and how would you propose paying for them? Or, should they wait until the economy improves?The new recreation center will provide a brand new, updated, and larger workout facility for the residents of Carol Stream. The funding for this project was planned with no additional costs to residents. During these difficult economic times, the Park District is being creative in continuing and improving their programs. I would like to move forward with the same concept, as many residents are currently uninterested in incurring addition expenses.Would you support sharing/pooling resources (i.e. printing, vehicles) with other local governments (school districts, village, etc.)? If so, what areas would you consider combining or merging to save money or improve efficiency?I believe that sharing resources should be a fundamental concept for improving the community and increasing the Park District#146;s potential for fulfilling the resident#146;s needs. Combining programs with neighboring villages increases attendance and decreases costs for participants. Working with area businesses to provide services not only allows the park district to offer more opportunities to the residents, but it promotes Carol Stream#146;s economy and local businesses which is a #147;win-win#148;. The ability to share resources with schools within the district provides more space through use of gymnasiums which allows the park district to provide more programs and has potential for more residents to be involved. Additionally, sharing resources such as equipment, vehicles, and printing is a possibility as long as it is cost effective. A full examination and cost analysis would need to be completed on a per item basis.If you are a newcomer, what prompted you to run for the park board? If you're an incumbent, list your accomplishments or key initiatives in which you played a leadership role.I grew up in Carol Stream and as a child participated in cheerleading, soccer, swimming, and additional programs that the park district offered. When I returned home from college, I assisted in coaching soccer at the park district. Once married, my husband coached soccer for the park district as well. Now I have young children who are starting to participate in the programs, I want to take a larger role to ensure that not only do they have the best experiences possible, but that everyone, of all ages, are able to enjoy the park district the way I have. I truly believe that health and fitness is the key to creating a happy community and the park district offers many opportunities, experiences, and beautification to assist in this goal.