Chris Wilson: Candidate Profile

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Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioQA Bio City: Glen EllynWebsite: www.cornellmayowilson.comOffice sought: Glen Ellyn Park Board Age: 67Family: I have lived in Glen Ellyn for the past 54 years. My former husband, Mike and I raised our sons, Jed and Zak here,and our kids were surrounded by grandparents and great grandparents. Jed, 43 is married and lives out in San Diego with his wife Diane and 2 children, Leif 5 and Cara 2. Zak, 41, lives in Glen Ellyn and free lances in web design and film and video.Occupation: Senior Staff AccountantEducation: After graduating from Glenbard West High School, I attended the University of Kansas for 3 years and moved back to Glen Ellyn and graduated from Elmhurst College with a degree in elementary education.Civic involvement: â#128;cent;Citizens for Glen Ellyn Preservation (2002 to present) Served as Treasurer for 2 years and President for 3. Mission of the group is to safe guard the historic character of our village. â#128;cent;Appointed Commissioner Village of Glen Ellyn Historic Preservation Commission, 2011 to Present. â#128;cent;Chicago Suburban Preservation Alliance (Group of Preservation Advocates) 2005 to Present. â#128;cent;District 41 Facility Development Committee 2006 â#128;cent;Appointed to the Village of Glen Ellyn Streetscape Committee 2014 â#128;cent;Civic Betterment Party: 2006 to Present â#128;cent;Served/Chaired GlenBard West Class of 66 Reunion - 1976 to Present â#128;cent;Glen Ellyn Jr Woman's Club 1971-1973 delivered meals on wheels to SeniorsElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What programs aren't paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?Currently, the special events such as the Lake Ellyn Cardboard Boat Regatta, Freedom Four Mile Run, and Free Movie Nights are not paying for themselves. I support keeping them because they serve all the residents. The Park District events bring people together, create memories, provide opportunities for kids and parents to share experiences and build a strong community. Within their proposed budget for 2015, the Park District sets as one of their goals to have the staff seek sponsors and donations for these events. I would support supplementing the costs wherever possible.Is there any additional open space the park district needs to acquire? Please describe.I believe the Park District should consider purchasing open land whenever the possibility arises. Of course the acquisition should be evaluated carefully; making sure it is sustainable and meets the objectives of the Park District. If it does I would support a referendum if needed. Open space is valuable to our quality of life. Open space improves our physical and psychological health and our environment. Parks and nature draw us in and provide areas to be active in. Just being surrounded by nature has been shown to reduce our stress. The trees and plants reduce air and water pollution and help keep our cities cooler, plus helps to manage storm water without taxing our sewer systems.Are there any unmet recreational needs? If yes, what are they and how would you propose paying for them? Or, should they wait until the economy improves?The Park District provides a variety of recreational programs for all ages and diverse interests. If there are unmet needs, I would hope that residents would make their requests to the staff and or the board. The feasibility of those needs would need to be looked into. The board, as pictured on the organizational chart of the Park District, serves the community. I believe it would be our responsibility as Board members, to be open an ear in the community and seek out input from the public.Would you support sharing/pooling resources (i.e. printing, vehicles) with other local governments (school districts, village, etc.)? If so, what areas would you consider combining or merging to save money or improve efficiency?Definitely, I would support the Park District initiatives to pool resources with local government agencies wherever possible. Currently the Park District is working on an intergovernmental agreement with several local Park Districts, Itasca and Wooddale, to share the services of an IT manager. The district is also partnering with the village to purchase trees and have them planted through the Suburban Tree Consortium. Other areas would be purchasing salt and fuels through the village and sharing field and facility space with the school districts.If you are a newcomer, what prompted you to run for the park board? If you're an incumbent, list your accomplishments or key initiatives in which you played a leadership role.The Park District encompasses everything that I love about this town. Our parks, sporting events, and special holiday events bring people together. One of the main gathering places for year around Park District activities is Lake Ellyn Park. My first experience of Glen Ellyn, at the age of 13, was being invited by neighbors to go to the 4th of July activities at Lake Ellyn. Then that winter, I spent many hours skating on Lake Ellyn and building friendships hanging out in the Boat House. My two sons benefited from Park District programs and now as a grandmother of small children, I spend a lot of time at Lake Ellyn Park and Main Street Park. Because of my passion for preservation and conservation of our resources, I want to be involved in the restoration of the Glen Ellyn Boathouse, which is at the center of Lake Ellyn Park, the crown jewel and heart of our village. Given my background in finance, plus knowledge of preservation resources and grants, I have valuable skills to bring to the table. I would be honored to serve as a Park District Commissioner to continue the commitment of the Park Board to transparency, financial responsibility, maintaining our parks and serving the citizens of Glen Ellyn. .What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I would support the idea of expanding our biking and hiking trails throughout the village, which would connect our parks within the village to the downtown, prairie path and Great Western Trail. I was happy to see that the Park District took over the renting of garden spots and would ask for more if the space and need is there. I'm very much a believer in eating fruits and vegetables and this would be an opportunity to conduct gardening and cooking classes to contribute toward a healthy life style. I am proud to be running as a slate of candidates with Kathy Cornell and Gary Mayo because our skills, interests and community involvement complement each other.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Richard Rohr, a spiritual leader, teaches that nature transcends religion and connects all of us. His positive message sets the tone for my day.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?My Dad taught me positive moral values: be honest, do your best and treat others with respect.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would have spent more time with my parents asking them questions about their growing up and adult lives and dreams.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I loved my child development classes. They have helped with my own children and now with my grandchildren.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Listen to your gut and have the courage to be yourself.