Karthik Chandramouli: 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: MundeleinWebsite: www.mundeleinunited.comTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Mundelein Village Board Age: 45Family: I am married to Dr. Varsha Chandramouli, and we are excited to celebrate our 20th anniversary this year. Varsha is a Family Doctor and physician executive at AIM Specialty Health (an Anthem company), where she is Vice President of Clinical Operations. She also volunteers at a student-run health clinic at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine. We have two sons, Vikram (14) and Keshav (10). Our family has lived in Mundelein for 10 years.Occupation: Supply Chain and Technology Startup ExecutiveEducation: Master in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy SchoolExecutive Education at Northwestern Univ. Kellogg School of Management and MIT Sloan School of ManagementB.A., Political Science, University of LouisvilleCivic involvement: Founding Board Member and first President of Mundelein District 75 STEAM Foundation. In 2016, the Foundation launched Innovation Station, a Makerspace for kids that delivers hands-on technology experiences through Robotics and other creative programs.Volunteer Assistant Coach to our award-winning LEGO Robotics Team, I taught engineering problem solving skills to kids. Mundelein is one of the few public school districts in Lake County with a LEGO Robotics program.I served on the technology working group that recommended a 1-to-1 Chromebook laptop program for District 75. I was also on the committee for hiring a new elementary school Principal.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I'm the only candidate with private sector expertise to drive efficiency and innovation in our Village of Mundelein. I bring 20+ years of experience at world-class companies like Toyota and Motorola, and technology startup experience.I've led manufacturing site selection studies that created thousands of jobs, so I know why companies invest in communities.I'm passionate to put Mundelein on the map, and showcase our community as an ideal destination for families and business of all types "â#128;œ including technology startups and manufacturing.I believe in thoughtful, rigorous, data-driven policymaking that is transparent and accountable to our residents.As a policy advisor to Livable Lake County, I helped inject fiscal sanity into the tired, old debate on extending Route 53. Our efforts have influenced public leaders and our community alike, to give up a 1950s playbook for economic development and start to explore new alternatives.I'm forward-thinking and always look to challenge conventional wisdom with new, evidence-based ideas. I bring relentless optimism and a sense of possibility for Mundelein that our leaders have not demonstrated in many years.I act with integrity and compassion, and believe that leaders must always display courage to do what is right, not just what is popular.Our elected leaders must restore trust in government and overcome divisions in our community through inclusive policymaking and a strong focus on getting things done.What is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales and property taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.Bottom line "â#128;œ we can't sustain this level of taxes indefinitely.In Mundelein, we expect a high level of service from our government. Outstanding schools are a key driver to attract and retain families and businesses.I have spoken with business owners, real estate brokers, and developers who think that Mundelein isn't an easy place to do business. If our Village leaders make it more difficult to do business in Mundelein, we can't compete.Every year the State refuses to fix its house, they shift a greater burden onto homeowners. Illinois is one of the few states in America that does not fund education responsibly "â#128;œ so, every homeowner has to pick up the slack. We must demand change in the school funding formula to give homeowners property tax relief, or we will continue to lose businesses and residents.Mundelein property values have lagged the national recovery in real estate prices, and that puts additional pressure on families who have not seen their investment in houses keep pace with the market.We must aggressively recruit a diverse mix of businesses to sustain a local tax base. That's the only way we can offset lost sales taxes from online shopping, without shifting the extra burden onto families.Rate the efficiency of your town's police and fire coverage. Are the departments well prepared for the next decade? What, if anything, should be changed? Do you have specific public safety concerns?In my personal experience over the past ten years, our police and fire departments have always been highly responsive and professional.We have an effective model of community policing that must continue. We can't allow federal budget squabbles undermine a proven approach to build trust in our community and improve the effectiveness of our police.I support experiments to improve our police and fire coverage by connecting our Village with low-cost sensors and leverage mapping data and technology to reduce our public safety risks. Smart cities use data to predict and optimize how we use our public safety resources.We should always challenge ourselves to deliver the best possible service levels at the lowest cost. I will work with every unit of our government and explore how we can improve our service to residents.We must ensure that our talent pipelines include more women and Latinos, to reflect our diverse community. I will make sure that we deliver better results in this area.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?I'm an expert in Lean Manufacturing, and I will leverage that experience to drive cost reduction in every department. Continuous improvement that engages every Village employee will turn up new ideas for delivering our services at a lower cost.We must use procurement best practices to choose the right vendors who can deliver high quality services at a competitive price.My experience at Motorola and Toyota will help to drive procurement efficiency and ensure smart, transparent public spending.Investments in technology and analytics are a priority for me. Our Village has not invested sufficiently in technology platforms and tools that improve participation. We must use technology to increase engagement in local government and drive accountability, transparency, and results.What is one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Give our residents innovative tools that connect them to Village services and decision makers.SeeClickFix is an example of a mobile app that residents use to report service issues like potholes, before they become larger problems.We can use technology to improve public participation, and get meaningful input from residents, who often can't attend official Village Board meetings.In 2017, we don't need to be physically present at a meeting in order to contribute ideas, or create an ongoing dialogue with our elected officials.I'd like to use technology to enable a new level of civic engagement. We have an extremely talented community, and my goal is to ensure that every single resident is connected to our Village. We need everyone to join the conversation about our future direction.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Our Village has a legacy perception that does not reflect our reality. We must tell our story better "â#128;œ that Mundelein has excellent schools and a future workforce as good as any in Lake County. Our Village is affordable, diverse, and safe. We need leadership who knows how to tell our story.I will bring a laser focus on accountability and help build a high performance culture in our Village that delivers great service, and knows how to drive results for our residents.Our slate of 5 candidates on A Mundelein United has deep private sector expertise that our Village desperately needs.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Pope Francis and The Dalai Lama. They are compassionate, joyful leaders who have inspired me with their universal messages to serve humanity.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Integrity. Always have courage to speak truth to power, and do what's right, even if it's unpopular.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Start a business and learn how to take smart risks your 20's. I was 39 when I founded my first technology startup company.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?American History "â#128;œ it inspired me to study public policy in graduate school, where I would meet my wife, Varsha.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?We always tell our kids "Be resilient, move forward." Life will knock you down, and you just have to get up and keep going.