Descendant of Lisle's settlers tabbed for village board post

A lifelong Lisle resident has been tapped to fill the village board's vacancy.

Trustees Monday night unanimously confirmed Mayor Joe Broda's appointment of Catheryn (Cathy) C. Cawiezel to fulfill the unexpired term left by Kim Brondyke earlier this month. The term expires in April 2011.

Cawiezel is also a descendant of one of Lisle's earliest settlers, Xavier Riedy, who came to Lisle in 1843.

"My family and I have always been very involved in the community, and that's very important to me to continue," Cawiezel said Tuesday. "Public service gives me the opportunity to give back to the community that has served me my whole life but it also gives me the opportunity to learn more and form relationships with others who love living in the community."

Cawiezel said she was not planning on joining the village board when Broda approached her but was at a crossroad trying to decide what new public service opportunities she would like to try.

"The underpinnings of Mayor Broda's message when we talked could be summarized in two words: 'service' and 'teamwork,'" she said. "I found that to be very alluring and made my decision an easy one."

With only one meeting under her belt so far, Cawiezel said she hopes to work with the community and Navistar to work out "something that can be of a mutual benefit" to the community, residents and Navistar regarding the engine maker's proposal to move its international headquarters to the former Lucent site on Warrenville Road. She also hopes to be active in the village's assessment and redevelopment efforts along the Ogden Avenue corridor.

"Cathy's strong Lisle roots, dedication to community service, and financial background made her an ideal candidate to fill the vacancy on the village board," Broda said. "I am thankful for her willingness to serve our community as a trustee, and look forward to the positive contributions she'll bring."

Cawiezel also serves on the boards of the Lisle Heritage Society and Friends of the Lisle Library, and is a parishioner at St. Joan of Arc Church. Cawiezel is the Controller for the University of St. Francis in Joliet.