The Choir has Sung!
I would like to congratulate incumbent Patrick Kelly and the newly elected Council representative Allison Longenbaugh on their victories. They have their work cut out for them!
Wow, has this been a journey! I have learned so much through this entire process. Although it’s been crazy, I’m glad I did it. What really meant a lot to me was learning more about the city I love and meeting all the great people along the way. It was exciting to hear questions from people that care, even if they were tough questions. There is a lot of passion and compassion in this town!
I also want to offer my deepest gratitude to all who voted for me and supported my message about how critical it is to build a more sustainable community. We all succeeded in furthering the conversation about Sustainability! I won’t say the other candidates copied my platform, but there sure was a lot of conversation about sustainability as the election went on. I was so impressed with the fact there were three forums centered around the topic - certainly a first! I was particularly excited to participate in the one hosted by the students of Naperville Central. With your interest, we took the issue of Naperville’s coal addiction out of hiding and put it in the spotlight.
There is so much more work to be done, and accountability to be held - I hope the momentum continues. I strongly encourage everyone with an interest in this matter to get engaged with the Naperville
Environment and Sustainability Task Force (NEST): https://www.sustainnaperville.org/.
There are teams focused on energy, waste, transportation, natural resources, schools, and building and development. If even a tenth of the 7150 people who voted for me got engaged, the momentum could be insurmountable!
I encourage everyone to continue to pay attention, stay engaged, connect with neighbors, and speak out for what you think our community needs. Sign up for the City newsletter, Naperville Connected, get engaged in your homeowners association, invite a Council member to coffee. Although this door to City Council may be closed to me (for now), as I complete my current Master's program, I am looking forward to others that will open with opportunities for continuing to build a more resilient world.
Thank you!
Jodi