Brian Enochs: 2023 candidate for Libertyville trustee

Bio

Town: Libertyville

Age on Election Day: 61

Occupation: Executive Vice President, Business Development & Marketing

Employer: The Joint Commission

Previous offices held: none

Q&A

Q: What is the most serious issue your community will face in the coming years and how should the city council or village board respond to it?

A: Positioning the Village as the premiere destination community both in terms of quality of life for long term residents as well as the small businesses that give our unique downtown the vibrancy it currently exudes.

Q: How would you describe the state of your community's finances?

A: Village finances are strong based on our current budget surplus and our recent bond rating upgrade

Q: What should be the three top priorities for spending in your community during the next four years?

A: Continue efforts to improve storm water management, maintain and improve our critical public services and infrastructure, support for maintaining our parks, green spaces and public areas. As a fourth, I would emphasize sustainability and environmental stewardship.

Q: Are there areas of spending that need to be curtailed? If so, what are they?

A: Not at this time - the Village's financial stewardship has been prudent and effective.

Q: What do you see as the most important infrastructure project the community must address? Why and how should it be paid for? Conversely, during these uncertain economic times, what project(s) can be put on the back burner?

A: Storm water management - currently supported by a modest minor tax increase.

Q: Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy. What is your style in such a setting to reach agreement and manage local government? Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions with your village board or city council.

A: I've spent the last 20 years in senior positions with large corporations, most recently as an officer of a large non-profit. As a result, one focus of my professional life and one of the skills most critical to my success has been good governance and the ability to lead through influence. My style is to begin with questions, to actively listen, to identify points of potential agreement or alignment and then work with the group to settle on solutions that all can, if not agree on completely, at least agree on enough so that we can find a path forward together. While I haven't had the chance to use these skills in a political setting, they are universal from a leadership perspective and highly transferable. I hope to bring the same level of success I've had in the private sector to the public setting as a Village Trustee.

Q: What makes you the best candidate for the job?

A: I love this community. Over the course of my life, I've lived in 3 countries, 8 US states and 15 cities. After all that, I've chosen Libertyville as my forever home based on both the incredible community of people here, the superb parks and green spaces it offers and the vital and exciting downtown environment that's developed over the years. Knowing I'll be here for the rest of my life, I feel compelled to take on as much responsibility as possible for helping to maintain and improve those things that make Libertyville so special to me. When

you combine that passion with the breadth and depth of both my professional and personal experience, I feel it positions me as a very strong candidate for the position of Trustee.

Q: What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?

A: I would like to see the Board develop a long-term plan for the Village that differentiates it from the surrounding communities with which it competes both for full time residents as well as for the foot traffic on which the downtown depends. I'd like to see us thinking in terms of the next decade and what investments would be most critical over that time frame to ensure differentiation and allow us to establish the Village as a clear favorite within the larger area as both a place to live and a place to eat, shop and enjoy yourself.