Change at the top in Lake Villa after 24 years

Mayor Frank Loffredo's 24 years as the top elected official in Lake Villa will come to a close Wednesday when he turns over the gavel and heads into retirement.

Loffredo, 71, has spent more than half his life in continuous service to the community, starting as a plan commissioner in 1978, then village trustee in 1985 and, finally, mayor beginning in 1993.

He said there was no burning reason to step down, but with the village on a steady course and in good hands with veteran leaders, the timing was right.

"We won't lose anything with any historical perspective, with where we've been and where we're going," he said.

His replacement? Jim McDonald, who has served as a village trustee since Loffredo was elected mayor. The pair have been friends during that time and frequently meet for lunch.

"I was never going to run against him," said McDonald, who was elected last month.

Loffredo grew up in Waukegan and recalls trips to Cedar Lake and Sherwood parks - the entertainment centers of the time - in Lake Villa.

"It was a different way of life here, comparatively. This was the end of the earth," he said.

When it came time for him to settle down, the little village was on the radar. He and his wife, Carole, still live in the home they bought as newlyweds in 1970.

A professor and department chairman teaching dental prosthetics at Triton College, Loffredo also wanted to contribute to the community, which then had fewer than 500 people. It has grown to about 8,800.

"It was a dual career," he said. "I never thought it would go this far for this long."

Loffredo said he approached the job as a resident doing what was best for the town. He credits a dedicated and hardworking staff and village board for support.

Candidates ran against him periodically, but the outcome was never close.

"Even in controversial times, I always wanted to give people an opportunity to express how they feel and I've respected that," he said.

During his tenure, the Metra North Central line was established and Lake Villa's station built as a replica of the Soo Line station where visitors stopped in the 1920s to visit area lakes.

It was considered a nucleus for a revived downtown, but the area hasn't thrived as envisioned and the village also has lost business to Wisconsin. In recent years, the village has formulated economic development strategies and incentive programs and has taken other steps that continue to be the focus.

"We've built on what we planned to build on," Loffredo said. "A lot of things will be happening."

The village's purchase of the iconic Lehmann Mansion to save it from development or demolition; development of a community baseball park; work to secure Lake Michigan water; and hiring the village's first administrator are among other milestones during Loffredo's term.