Mayor taps 6 for diversity panel in Mundelein

Six Mundelein residents have been chosen to serve on a panel that will focus on the town's ethnic diversity.

Mundelein Mayor Kenneth H. Kessler on Monday will recommend the village board name the following people to the recently resurrected human rights commission: Chris Grable, Gaylene Henry, Vicky Kennedy, Jesse Ortega, Roberta Rekus and Karen Schuman.

Only Kennedy and Ortega have served on elected boards. Kennedy is a Mundelein High School board member and Ortega is a former member of that board.

Kessler still plans to find a seventh member for the panel and is seeking applications from the public. He would like to add another minority member to the commission.

"We're holding that spot and giving preference to someone who is from a different cultural or racial background than the people we have on the commission right now," Kessler said.

Mundelein formed a human relations commission in 1962 to deal with fair-housing issues, but it has been dormant for many years.

Nearly 29 percent of Mundelein's population was Hispanic as of 2005, according to a Lake County Partners report. More than 7 percent was Asian at that time, and nearly 2 percent was black.

Highland Park, Aurora and Elgin are among the suburbs with active human relations commissions.

The village board is scheduled to vote on Kessler's appointments at its regularly scheduled meeting Monday. That session is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the main fire station, 1000 N. Midlothian Road.

Applications for the seventh spot on the commission can be picked up at village hall, 440 E. Hawley St.

For more information, call (847) 949-3225.