advertisement

Adam Miguest: Candidate Profile

Metro. Water Reclamation District (Democrat)

Back to Metro. Water Reclamation District

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:BioQA Bio City: ChicagoWebsite: http://chicagowaterleaders.com/Office sought: Metro. Water Reclamation District Age: 23Family: Candidate did not respond.Occupation: Fundraising consultant for community based and not for profit organizations.Education: Attended Martin Luther King, Jr. High school and graduated from Lincoln Park High School. Earned a Bachelor's of Arts from University of Illinois, majored in International Studies Linguistics.Civic involvement: Interned in the Washington, DC Office of Congressman Bobby Rush and later, worked as a field organizer for Congressman Brad Schneider's successful campaign.Elected offices held: Ran for Alderman of Chicago's 4th Ward in 2011.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Questions Answers Why are you running for this office? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is that?I am running on a slate with two other great candidates, Tom Courtney and John Xydakis. One of our main motivations is to repair the decaying water management infrastructure in the county. We see floodplains that are rising and water just sitting in the streets. That stagnant water creates environmental hazards and health risks for residents of Cook County. Even after the water subsides, our children are walking through those potentially dangerous areas often littered with debris.What differentiates you most from your opponents in the race?As a forward thinker, and staunch environmentalist, I feel my youth will bring a fresh perspective and encourage younger generations towards more active civic and environmental engagement. This increased youth awareness and engagement is critical for the continued future successful management of water, as a vital resource.What special knowledge or experience do you have that particularly qualifies you for this office?I was born and bred in Chicago and have seen first hand the damages of flooding and potential dangers of decaying and mismanaged infrastructure on the south side.What should the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District do to prevent disasters like the widespread flooding that affected the North and Northwest suburbs recently?The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District oversees one of the largest civil engineering projects ever undertaken, the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, or TARP. One of the project's goals is to prevent widespread flooding disasters by building a network of tunnels and reservoirs to increase emergency storage capacity. The last reservoir is expected to be finished by 2029 and as commissioner I will work tirelessly on keeping ahead of schedule and completing this critical infrastructure project.Finally, is there anything we haven't asked about that you feel we should know?I have two great Japanese Akita dogs and co-founded Illini Innovations, a technology and app development firm.