Melissa Martin became the first female Oak Brook Village Board member in 10 years when her recommendation for appointment by newly-elected Village President Larry Herman was unanimously approved Tuesday June 13 by trustees.
Martin, 42, was chosen to fill the remaining two years of Herman’s board term, which became vacant after he was elected April 4 as the new Village president.
“I am extraordinarily pleased that the Village Board unanimously concurred with my recommendation,” Herman said. “I knew that Melissa was the right individual for this role due to her tremendous efforts as a valuable member of the village Sports Core Committee, where she was actively engaged in our continued progress on making each and every component of the Sports Core operate fiscally positive.”
Herman said Martin’s valuable insight on youth services in the community is another way her perspective will serve the residents of Oak Brook.
Martin’s appointment makes her the first female board member since Elaine Zannis left in 2013.
“It’s great that (Martin) brings a missing female perspective to the board, but I nominated her for her impeccable credentials and demonstrable experience on our Sports Core Committee,” Herman said. “She also is of a demographic, as a mother with young children, that is underrepresented on the current board, and her knowledge and energy will be a complement to the productive dynamic of the current board.”
Martin ran for a Village Board seat in the April 4 election, but missed being elected when she finished with the fifth-highest vote total in a six-person race for three open seats. Naveen K. Jain’s 1,349 vote total gave him enough for the third-highest total and the final seat on the board. Martin’s 1,276 votes left her 21 votes behind Henry (Hank) Haff, who had 1,297 votes.
Ed Tiesenga, who was elected in April to a third four-year term, said Martin has a lot to contribute to the board.
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“I look forward to our work together,” he said. “”Our new board is off to a good start. We each bring our own experiences, perspectives and standpoint epistemology to our work as trustees.”
“Trustee Martin brings a fresh perspective to the Village Board,” added Michael Manzo, who was elected in April to a fourth four-year term. “She already has experience working with village staff and budgets as a member of the Sports Core Committee. Her background as a Certified Public Accountant, as well as being a widely-published tenured professor of accounting at University of Illinois-Chicago, is impressive, too.”
Martin said Wednesday that she is excited to serve on the board, not only as the first female in over a decade, but also as a parent of school-age children.
“I hope to increase the representation of these groups in village matters and motivate my peers to serve the community as well,” she said. “Our own lives can be busy, particularly at this life stage, but I think it is important to lead by example. I hope that by serving as trustee I can encourage others to get involved in our community and model the behavior I hope to inspire in my own children.”
Martin said she is confident in what she can bring to the Village, and her experience serving over the years has prepared her for this role.
“I expect to work well with the current board and to continue to modernize and proactively move Oak Brook forward,” she said.
“In my role as a university professor, I have considerable experience in understanding governance within a public institution. In addition, my background in accounting provides a solid foundation for fiscally-grounded decision making.”
Martin said she will continue to look for ways to innovate and modernize Oak Brook through sound financial decisions that pay homage to the rich traditions of the village.
“I pair this more global knowledge with specific experience serving the Village,” she said. “As a six-year member of the Sports Core Committee, I gained an understanding of village operations, ranging from public works, administrative staff, budgeting and public safety.”
Martin has lived in Oak Brook for eight years and has been married for 19 years to D. Erik Martin. The couple has two children, Charlie, 11, and Everett, 8.
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.