Wendy Morgan: Candidate Profile

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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: Prospect Hts.Website: www.WendyMorgan.comOffice sought: Prospect Heights Clerk Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: Married to Rodney Adams- Administrator of the Law Firm of Wendy R. Morgan and one daughter, Katherine Carol Adams born who is also an attorney.Occupation: Attorney, CEO and founder of the Law Firm of Wendy R. Morgan Since 1981.Education: Bachelor's Degree- Graduated Magna cum Laude with a double B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy from Loyola University. Obtained Law Degree-Juris Doctor from Chicago Kent College of Law in1981. Licensed to practice law in the State, Federal Courts, and State Supreme Court since 1981. Admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court in 2003.Civic involvement: As an attorney I have provided select pro bono services and acted as facilitator in our local Courts. In Rotary - Mt. Prospect/ Prospect Heights Rotary Club, I have worked to provide scholarships to our youth, serving our needy with food drives and warm coats; assisting elderly and working with literacy programs providing supplies to our libraries; with our City police department to derail crime by impoverished teens and adolescents, worked in various city fairs and events. I have been actively involved as an administrator, secretary and director of community organizations as well as my involvement with several bar associations.Elected offices held: Current second term President of Mt.Prospect/Prospect Heights Rotary Club and former Rotary Club Secretary; Served as President and Secretary of Rand Olive Condominium Association since 1995; Served as President of Northwest Serenade Symphony Orchestra; NW Suburban Bar Association, Ill Bar Association and American Trial Lawyers Association, Phi Alpha.Delta Law Fraternity; Decologue Society, President and CEO of Law Firm of Wendy R. Morgan since 1981.Questions Answers Some communities have contracted out for certain services, such as snowplowing, to save money. What innovative methods would you proposed to reduce your office's budget? Explain your answer.While the city does their own maintenance of vehicles, snow plows, etc... It may be cheaper and more efficient to contract these services out and this option should be investigated. This would put more snow plows simultaneously on the street during and after a snow storm and provide a better overall service to the public. However, it must be said that the current Public Works Department does an excellent job with snow removal, vehicle maintenance upkeep and the many duties that they are assigned. The problems, at times, may be that there are only seven employees to cover 33 miles of streets. The current Public Works Department has handled their assignments very well. As is the case with postal workers "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom and darkness of night stays these workers from the swift completion of their jobs". However, it is always a good idea to look for outsourcing various costly functions to see if there is a better way as a cost cutting measure.The state's Freedom of Information Act guidelines emphasize providing citizens open access to government. Name one specific step you would take if elected to increase government transparency in your office?The Council must be kept informed of all requests. The assigned clerk must communicate in an honest and forthright manner to the public within the confines of FOIA regulations. I would go even further by requiring that the appointed clerk invite any and all persons that need further clarification to come to city hall to review their request in person. In addition, I would work to enhance and improve the City website to include substantially more information about our city, city government, build into our website "How Can We Help You " communications so our citizens can communicate requests ,questions, and problems via email; develop blog site links to enable our people to communicate with Aldermen, other city officials and the Mayor via email, and much more. I would promote more referendum on which the voting public can decide. Transparency is more than a word. It must be a deed. Full disclosure on all issues that concern the well-being of our citizens is essential and must at all times be an essential responsibility.Do you believe the village clerk should be an elected or appointed position? Please explain your answer.This issue is not a process of individual opinions. Assuming the role of the City Clerk as an elected position as it is now, I would support that. However, it must be an active participatory role. The qualifications of the City Clerk will therefore be more important and not just a ceremonial role as it now exists. The position deserves more experience in officiating and working with community organizations. My legal skills and knowledge for the process would be an asset to City government. The City Clerk will be voicing opinions on issues and taking responsibility to ensure the completion of the duties of their office. In addition, the Clerk must communicate with the Mayor and City Administrator effectively, as well as with the council members. This is a visible position to the community and the City Clerk must be involved with and appear at City functions and events serving the community. Under these circumstances, the checks and balances of government are more important as well and the people should therefore have the right to choose their selected and most qualified individual.What steps would you take as village clerk to improve and increase the flow of information to residents?My goal is to re-establish the role of City Clerk as an active, participatory function. I will establish a policy of truth and relevance, respond quickly to general or formal inquiries, and be accessible and accountable to the citizens and their needs. I will be present at City functions and communicate with the public to keep abreast of problems, questions, and concerns of our people. I will work to enhance and further develop our city website to provide substantially more information and updates with regard to the City, City government, build into our website-"How Can We Help You" email communications to enable our citizens to communicate via email their questions and concerns; develop blog site links so the public can communicate directly with city Aldermen, post city ordinances, and updates, permit, license, and other regulatory requirements and their updates, better news and events updates and much more. The City Clerk is a conduit to the people, city council and the mayor. Most of all I will attend all city Council meetings and follow through on my prescribed duties. Minutes of city council meetings must be reviewed by the Clerk before being submitted because accuracy and completeness of minutes is critical. The City Clerk position cannot and should not be a ceremonial role as it now exists.If you are a newcomer, what prompted you to run? If you're an incumbent, list your accomplishments or key initiatives in which you played a leadership role.As a resident and small business owner in Prospect Heights for almost 30 years, as well as serving the community as a Rotarian, I want to take this opportunity to share my talents and abilities as an elected official. I have developed skills and knowledge as an administrator and director of commercial and community organizations to accomplish that goal. In my law firm I have provided select pro bono services to our citizens and acted as a facilitator in our local Courts. As a long time member and President of our Rotary I have worked in fundraising and providing scholarships and vocational scholarships to our youth, serving the needy with holiday and general food drives, warm coats, assisting elderly, conducting literacy programs, providing books and supplies to our libraries, contributing to our educational systems in our schools, worked with our police department to derail crime and provide constructive incentives to the impoverished teens and adolescents, worked in various city fairs and events and much more. At this point in my career I want to do further to give back to my family, friends, neighbors, and community. As an established officer of commercial and community organizations, with my legal skills and knowledge, my membership and involvement with many bar associations and my work with Rotary, I have developed the skills and knowledge to accomplish the goal of being a very qualified candidate and asset to the office of City Clerk.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I want to change the current role of City Clerk established by my opponent of less than ceremonial to that of an active participatory role. The City Clerk should be visible to the people, appearing at city functions and events, communicating with our Mayor, council members and citizens, participating and communicating the needs of the people, providing a voice to the citizens and their changing needs, being accessible to the people, and working with our community, checking and reviewing minutes accuracy of same, none of which is being done by my opponent. I believe it is critically important to be present for city council meetings and not miss a high proportion of meetings, which has been the incumbent's attendance record to date.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Senator Mark Kirk. A great voice for our country. He has tirelessly worked to protect our country's defense and security, and has overcome serious obstacles.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?To accomplish our dreams and goals we must work hard, be perseverant, be realistic and take responsibility for our own acts.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would have pursued spending more time with my daughter when she was a young child growing up.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Philosophy, it helped shaped my way of thinking, analyzing problems and issues which later made me a successful lawyer, business person and leader.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?To be successful you must be willing to work hard, be patient and not allow obstacles to get in your way of pursuing your goals.