District 128 school board member selected to fill vacancy on Libertyville village board

The newest Libertyville trustee will be switching focus from education to municipal issues as the village board gets back to full strength.

Casey Rooney, a Libertyville-Vernon Hills High School District 128 board member, was selected by Mayor Donna Johnson from among six candidates to replace Dan Love, who recently resigned.

Rooney, a 29-year resident, works for a software company that markets to financial advisers. She was appointed to the school board in 2018 and elected to a four-year term in 2019. She has served as chair of the board's finance and facilities committee since 2021.

Johnson announced the appointment this week. Rooney will be sworn in and officially join the board Sept. 12. Her last school board meeting is Monday.

Rooney said she contacted the village after seeing an online post about the opening.

"I'm passionate about this village," she said. "I'm happy to serve in another capacity."

She will be the second female and the first new female trustee in many years. Johnson joined the board as a trustee in 2007 and was elected mayor in 2021. She said constituents often said they would like to see another female trustee.

Johnson said her standard for filling positions is finding the most qualified candidate, one who adds value to the community and helps it move forward. Four of the candidates were female and two male, she said.

Rooney, she said, has "a wealth of experience" and ability to collaborate, noting her tenure at District 128 during the pandemic.

"You were there during some of the most challenging and tough times," Johnson said in making the announcement. "There were definitely some lessons learned there that you can bring to this role."

Johnson said Rooney's gender was a bonus but not the first requirement she was seeking.