Mary Ellen Vanderventer: 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: WaukeganWebsite: lakecountyil.gov/recorderTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Lake County Recorder of Deeds Age: 61Family: Don Vanderventer - husbandOccupation: Lake County RecorderEducation: Holy Child High School - WaukeganColumbia College - ChicagoCivic involvement: Board of Directors, Cristo Rey St. Martin High SchoolUnited Way - Women's Leadership GroupElected offices held: I have had the honor of serving as the Lake County Recorder for 20 years.Questions Answers How well has the Recorder of Deeds performed, and what qualifications would you bring to the office?It is important to note there is not a single task performed in the Recorder's office that is duplicated by any other government office. My office has worked diligently to utilize available technology while keeping the old-fashioned traditions of the office alive. Every phone call is personally answered (no menus or buttons to push). As an extension of our office we offer several tools for our clients and customers, including Online Access and Property Check, a 24/7 free service for mortgage fraud protection. We are proud of our updated website and daily cable TV show "Doing Good Deeds for You."If you expect to ask for an increase in appropriations during the next four years, what areas would you want to put more money into?No taxpayer funds are collected or used in the operation of the Recorder's office. Since 1997 we have cut our budget every single year. We have reduced our headcount by 11 employees while continuing to offer exceptional customer service. Recording fees are set by State Statutue, deposited in the General Fund and distributed by the County Board to provide services to Lake County residents, including health care and police protection. Seniors receive many free services as well as our military veterans.List any of your relatives (including those related to you by marriage, and nieces/nephews) who are on the public payroll in Illinois, their jobs and who they work for.My brother, Bill Durkin is a Lake County Board Commissioner.Describe your position on transparency in the office and the ease of access to records by the public. If you believe improvements are needed, what are they and how would you go about achieving them?Real estate professionals, engineers, banks, law enforcement officials and taxpayers all rely on the integrity, accuracy and prompt service of the Recorder's office to legally establish property ownership. Transparency is key in our library of over 7 million documents. For over 170 years the Recorder's office has kept your public records safe and secure. With checks and balances in place, our records are available online to qualified customers. Our yearly budget is also posted online.Please list any elected office you've ever run for and what the result of that election was. Have you ever been appointed to fill an unexpired term?Seeking my 6th term as Recorder, I have been honored to receive the endorsement of every Lake County newspaper in my 5 elections. Every day I look forward to working with my staff and the public. The Recorder's office is the only office I have (or ever will) seek.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Senior Citizens are high on our list! We offer several brochures that are great tools and contain resources to help navigate the many services and benefits available to our Seniors.As the keeper of military paperwork, working with our Veterans is a true honor. My office recently received the Seven Seals Award for meritorious leadership in support of the men and women who serve. Our office worked closely with the Veteran's Assistance Commission to sort, scan, index and file over 9,000 military records of Lake County's men and women soldiers.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Maria Shriver for her fight on behalf of Alzheimer's patients and families.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?If you tell the truth, you never have to remember what you said.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?finishing my piano lessons!!What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?English. I enjoy reading, which in some small way prepared me for my love of public speaking.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?I don't have children but I am a terrific Aunt!!