Sussman will not seek third term as Buffalo Grove village president, endorses Smith as successor
Buffalo Grove Village President Beverly Sussman will not seek a third term as the town's top elected official next year.
Instead, Sussman said she will endorse village Trustee Eric Smith for the post in the 2023 local election.
"He has the skills, mindset and attitude to keep Buffalo Grove on the successful path that it is now on," she said. "From our many years serving the community together, I know that Eric is truly committed to the future of Buffalo Grove."
Sussman said she reached her decision after long, heartfelt conversations with her husband, Martin Sussman.
"It's time for Marty and me to stop arranging our lives around meetings and just enjoy ourselves," she said. "My family and I have lived in Buffalo Grove since 1971, and we've loved every minute of the 51 years that we've been here, from the annual Buffalo Grove Days festival to the excellent school system and the great sense of community that Buffalo Grove has to offer.
"It has been my great honor to serve the village for 29 years, first as a member on the Rick Kahen Commission for Residents with Disabilities, then as a village trustee, and now as the village president."
She expressed pride in the village's accomplishments during her tenure, including the creation of the Lake Cook Corridor Plan and Market Study, which set the stage for the redevelopment of the Town Center shopping center into a mixed-use development to be called The Clove. The $150 million project will be the largest redevelopment effort in Buffalo Grove history.
"Finally, after decades of neglect, all of the concerns about the Town Center will be answered," Sussman said.
Other successes included attracting a Woodman's grocery store to town and establishing the village's Infrastructure Modernization Program, which she said, "guarantees that village streets and sidewalks are always in great shape and that repairs are made in a timely basis."
Smith, a 34-year village resident, has served as a trustee since 2017, when he was appointed to replace retiring Trustee Steven Trilling. Previously a member of the planning and zoning commission, he was elected to a 4-year term in 2019.
Smith praised the direction taken by the village board under Sussman's presidency and promised to build on many of those initiatives, including the rebuilding of the village's infrastructure and developing better methods to communicate with residents.
"Through my years of dedication and service to Buffalo Grove, I have shown I love working to better our village and will continue to move forward with creativity and problem solving," he said.