How priorities differ among DuPage District 1 candidates

Candidates for District 1 seats on the DuPage County Board bring different experiences and priorities to their quest to serve the northeastern portion of the county.

All four candidates for two available seats — one two-year term and one four-year term — have held elected or appointed governmental roles, and while two candidates are in their late 30s, the others are in their 60s or 70s.

The race for the two-year seat features former Elmhurst City Council member Paula Pezza and entrepreneur Melissa Villanueva. Four-year seat candidates include incumbent county board member Michael Childress and Bloomingdale Planning & Zoning Commission member Eric Poplonski.

Here’s how each say they would help DuPage face future challenges.

Two-year seat candidates

Villanueva, 38, of Elmhurst, is CEO of Brewpoint Coffee, a former Economic Development commissioner in Elmhurst and a member of Innovation DuPage, a nonprofit that helps entrepreneurs find resources to grow.

The Democrat says she wants to join the county board to help local government plan for the rapid changes occurring in the workforce and economy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Villanueva says her business adjusted quickly to changing conditions to continue “to serve our community safely, without major disruption” — and without layoffs.

“I want to bring that same approach to the county, which looks like staying on top of the major issues ahead, gathering real data, listening to the people affected and acting early,” Villanueva said in a Daily Herald candidate questionnaire. “My focus will be keeping good jobs in DuPage, making it more affordable to live here and connecting people to work through last-mile investments.

Pezza, also seeking the two-year seat, is 65, a Republican and a former member of the Elmhurst City Council. Prudent and respectful use of taxpayer dollars, plus housing affordability, flood mitigation, senior support and efforts to improve conditions near O’Hare International Airport — such as aircraft noise reduction and western access — are the priorities she cited in her questionnaire.

Pezza has a background as a Realtor and senior real estate specialist and says she’d like to help the county expand housing options and better educate seniors about how to access support for property taxes and utilities.

“I would seek to serve on the Human Services Committee (of the county board) and improve outreach through libraries, senior centers and township partners, with telephone and in-person assistance,” Pezza said. “I would prioritize existing outreach funds and community partnerships, seeking grants for additional needs so more seniors can access available support.”

Four-year seat candidates

Michael Childress has served District 1 on the DuPage County Board since 2022 and is seeking another term.

The 70-year-old Bloomingdale Democrat describes himself as a community activist looking to build “on the solid foundation of good government, combined with sound fiscal responsibility.” He chairs the board’s public works committee. In that role, Childress says he has “built a solid infrastructure” for wastewater treatment, helped coordinate installation of solar panels across the county campus and supported the creation of a new memorial for victims of violence.

“My priority is to make county government more efficient, strengthen our local economy and identify new revenue opportunities, without placing additional financial burdens on homeowners and working families,” Childress wrote in his questionnaire.

Childress’ opponent is 39-year-old Eric Poplonski, a Bloomingdale Republican who says he wants to support a safe and affordable future for DuPage families.

“I am a lifelong DuPage County resident, a first-generation American, an attorney and a father of four,” Poplonski wrote in his questionnaire. “My parents came to this country in search of opportunity, and DuPage County provided our family with an outstanding community in which to live, work, and succeed. Now, as I raise my own children here, I feel a responsibility to give back and help preserve those same opportunities for the next generation.”

With affordability as his major focus, Poplonski said he wants the county to pursue partnerships and consider carefully before adding new programs.

“We should first determine whether we can address that need by improving existing services, partnering with organizations already doing the work or leveraging outside funding,” he said. “That approach can improve services while respecting taxpayers.”

• Marie Wilson is a freelance reporter for the Daily Herald.