Familiar face named to Glendale Heights clerk's post

When Marie Schmidt opted to leave the school board last spring after 20 years in Marquardt Elementary District 15, she thought she'd kick back a little.

Maybe she'd enjoy the extra free time.

That didn't last long.

"I've volunteered my whole life. I started to get bored," she said Thursday night.

Schmidt made those comments after her appointment as the new village clerk in Glendale Heights. It's a post that's been vacant since last fall when another 20-year-veteran at the job, JoAnn Borysiewicz, moved out of town.

She'd dramatically scaled back her duties in November 2005, but retired last September when she moved to Lanark, Ill.

Village President Linda Jackson said she decided to wait after the holidays to appoint someone to the job.

"I've given a lot of thought to the position," Jackson said, in making the appointment at the village board meeting.

She selected Schmidt, she said, because of her long history of involvement with the village.

In addition to her long-time role as District 15 board president, Schmidt helped found the village health and safety fair, is a member of the youth commission and is the village's only female sworn ESDA officer, Jackson said.

The village clerk is the official keeper of the records. The clerk is responsible for making sure all documents are signed and paperwork is filed. Schmidt said she expects to be particularly busy around elections.

It's an elected position that pays $5,000 annually and has a term that expires in 2009. If Schmidt wants to retain the job beyond then, she will need to run for re-election.