4 candidates interested in Arlington Heights library board

There will be two open seats on the Arlington Heights Memorial Library board at the April 9 consolidated election, and four candidates have already picked up nominating packets for those spots.

Current trustees Vik Johnson and Luis Ramirez-Alonso will not run for re-election.

For Johnson, it will be the end of 30 years on the board. He was first appointed to the library board in January 1982.

Ramirez-Alonso travels frequently for work and said he has been relocated to Spain for the next few years.

Joan Brody Garkisch, who ran unsuccessfully for the library board in the last election, picked up a packet to run again in 2013.

“I want to make sure we continue to be this incredibly rich resource in our community without increasing taxes,” she said.

Brody Garkisch said she has attended several library meetings to understand how the board works and has experience with other groups in the community. She is board secretary for the Arlington Heights Crime Stoppers, and helped start a before-school reading program for students at Windsor School. She also has a degree in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and has spent the past 25 years working on budgets and writing grants for nonprofits and government agencies.

Greg Zyck, who has been on the housing commission since 2008, also picked up a packet for library trustee, saying he too wants to continue the good work done at the library.

“They are doing such a great job over there so I just want to help it grow and become even better,” Zyck said. He added that with new technology and the changing needs of libraries, he wants to help Arlington Heights Memorial Library stay current.

Zyck has lived in Arlington Heights since 1995 and has also served on the PTA at Ivy Hill School and as Cub Master for Cub Scout Pack 468.

Alex Hageli, an eight-year resident of Arlington Heights, also will run.

“I’m there at least once a week so I thought, ‘Why not?’” he said. “I love the library, I’m always bragging about it to people from other towns, and I’m interested in public service so I thought I’d merge the two.”

Hageli said he is also a precinct captain for the Wheeling Township Republicans, though that would not affect his work in a nonpartisan library trustee role.

Tiana Brazzale also picked up a nominating packet from the Arlington Heights village clerk’s office but did not respond to calls on Wednesday.

Nominating packets can still be picked up and must be returned to the village clerk with signatures between Dec. 17 and Dec. 26.