Newest Mt. Prospect trustee gets warm hello from board

Mount Prospect trustees unanimously voted Tuesday to place an attorney on the village board to fill a vacancy.

After the vote, John Matuszak was sworn in, taking his seat on the dais with the other trustees. He said he wanted to be instrumental in shaping some of the town's major projects, including the redevelopment of the Randhurst Shopping Center and the downtown area.

He also said he hopes to work on bolstering retail in the southern end of the village, he said.

"It's not getting enough attention," said Matuszak about the village's retail sector on its south side. "I want to make sure it's competitive in our market."

Mayor Irvana Wilks selected Matuszak partly because of his legal knowledge of contracts as the village continues to work on major projects, she said.

"Drawing on his knowledge of Mount Prospect and broad professional background, I believe Mr. Matuszak will lend a great deal to the village board," Wilks said.

Matuszak is an attorney for the Navy. He received a bachelor's in law enforcement and a law degree from DePaul University. He grew up in Niles and graduated from Maine South High School.

Matuszak has lived in the village for the past 14 years. He and his wife, Laura, have been married for 18 years and they have three children. He has served on the village's police pension board and has been a youth sports coach. He is also a member of St. Raymond's parish.

He was nominated to finish out the term of former Trustee Timothy Corcoran, who resigned in August.

Matuszak can run for his own 4-year term when this term is up. Matuszak said he doesn't know if he will run at that time.