John Risvold: 2023 candidate for Naperville park board

Bio

Town: Naperville

Age on Election Day: 37

Occupation: Personal injury trial lawyer & partner

Employer: The Collins Law Firm P.C.

Previous offices held: None

Q&A

Q: Why are you running for this office, whether for reelection or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is it?

A: I'm John Risvold, a father of three young children, husband of a community leader, and personal injury and environmental lawyer.

I am running for Naperville Park District Commissioner to serve the place where my family and I live, and to be a voice for everyone in our community, the same way I am a voice for victims of injury in the courtroom.

My focus is on giving everyone in our community the opportunity to enjoy the parks and participate in park programs, removing physical and financial barriers to the park district to create more accessibility, and focusing on conservation and sustainability.

I will work to protect our green spaces, to address demand for programs, and give everyone in our community a place to connect with each other and nature, improve our health, wellness, and sense of community. I also want to work to maintain our AAA bond rating, find sustainable development opportunities, and work to lower costs for residents.

Q: How well is your district rebounding from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic? What new measures should be taken to strengthen programming or better meet the needs of the community?

A: Our city and the park district have rebounded well from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, but we need to make sure that we are always cognizant of health concerns of our residents, that we create safe and healthy environments for our residents and that we follow CDC guidelines when it comes to health and wellness.

I would like to hear from the community, particularly those with children, to learn whether park programs are meeting the needs of children following the pandemic. I have met with residents whose children were held back in school, but now cannot participate in park district programming with their classmates, because they are old for their grade.

We need to explore how to address this issue, in light of the impacts of COVID-19, so that we are creating more opportunities to meet demand and improving accessibility for all.

Q: How would you describe the state of the district's finances? What challenges do you see on the horizon, and how do you propose to meet them?

A: The park district's finances are on solid footing, and the park district maintains a AAA bond rating. This makes the Naperville Park District among one of the best in the nation, from a financial standpoint.

As the community continues to grow, we need to continue to work with private businesses, developers, city government and community leaders to ensure that the park district remains a central focus forecast financial challenges and address them before they arise.

We also need to continue to seek opportunities to partner with private business and philanthropic organizations, and find areas where we can use technology or green energy to help reduce costs and help ease the tax burden on residents.

Q: Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy. What is your style in such a setting to reach agreement? Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions of your park board.

A: As a personal injury lawyer, I work to build persuasive arguments in court, and work hard to make sure that my clients get fairness and justice. In doing so, I recognize that negotiation and compromise are essential to get the best result. My goal is to use those skills to build coalitions among the board members, community members and other entities that work with the park district, to find common ground, compromise and the solutions that will work best for the community.

I previously served on the Naperville Community Television NCTV17 board for several years, where we regularly determined policy and helped NCTV plan, budget and forecast, and deliver high quality local news and stories, without bias. Policy needs to be free from bias and focused on doing the greatest good possible. We do that best, when we give everyone a seat at the table, listen to community input, and increase accessibility and opportunity, and build coalitions.

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

A: I am the best candidate for the job because I understand that my role is to work for the community, not myself, and to be the voice for our entire community. I am a father of three young children who actively participate in park district programs and am deeply involved in the community. I am also a believer that our green spaces, trails, and parks are vital to our health, wellness and to building community. I want to preserve them.

The other important thing that you should know about me is that I take great pride in being the hardest working person in the room. I will bring my strong work ethic, a passion for the environment and community, and use my ability to negotiate, persuade and find compromise to get important issues solved and continue to ensure the Naperville Park District remains among the best in the nation.