Beeson appointed to Island Lake village board
A former Island Lake trustee returned to the village board after he was appointed Thursday to fill a recently vacated seat, officials said.
This is Mark Beeson's second stint with the village board, previously serving one term as trustee from 2013 through 2017.
Beeson, 50, did not seek re-election this spring due to personal reasons.
"My time is far more available now than it was during the 2017 election," he said Friday.
Beeson said his goal in returning to the board is to continue pushing the village "down the path of fiscal responsibility" and to get the village roads "back in shape."
"I'm looking forward to getting some of our 39 miles of roadways resurfaced," he said. "Also, our lake needs some quality improvements, but that's something else the board has been working on."
Beeson said he has been a business owner for 33 years and served in director roles at the chamber of commerce and the Island Lake Lions Club.
He takes over for Debra Jenkins, who resigned as a village trustee in June after moving out of the area.
Jenkins was elected to a 4-year term in April 2015, so Beeson will need to run for re-election to the seat in two years should he choose to stay on the board.
Before joining the village board, Jenkins served on the fire and police commission and had gained a reputation as a local activist and a financial supporter of village events and programs.