DuPage County Board appoints interim member to replace Amy Chavez

A youth programs manager for the Naperville-based Conservation Foundation has been appointed to a vacant seat on the DuPage County Board.

Amy Phillips, a former architect, will fill the seat previously held by Amy Chavez, a first-term Democrat who stepped down after announcing her family was moving out of state.

County Board Chairman Dan Cronin nominated Phillips for the District 5 seat. Her appointed term will expire on Dec. 5.

"Ms. Phillips desires to work collaboratively, identifying problems and finding common sense solutions at the local level," Cronin said in a statement Tuesday. "I believe her experience within the District 5 community and her professional expertise will make Ms. Phillips an excellent addition to the Board."

Phillips also serves on the executive committee of the Naperville Environment and Sustainability Task Force. She previously was a senior technical sustainability consultant with Terrapin Bright Green, a New York firm. Phillips holds three master's degrees, including a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Illinois.

District 5 includes parts of Naperville, Aurora, Lisle, Woodridge and Warrenville.

Naperville Democrat Saba Haider was slated by her party to replace Chavez on the November ballot. The other candidates for three District 5 seats are Democratic incumbents Sadia Covert and Dawn DeSart and Republican challenger Patricia "Patty" Gustin.