Donna Johnson is an American politician. In 2021, she became the first Black woman elected mayor of Libertyville, Illinois.[1]
The Honourable Donna Johnson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mayor of Libertyville, Illinois | |
| In office May 4, 2021 – 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Mayor Terry Weppler |
| Succeeded by | - |
| Libertyville Board of Trustees | |
| In office 2007–2021 | |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Independent |
| Residence(s) | Libertyville, Illinois |
Early life and education edit
Johnson is the daughter of Carol and Donald Tyler Johnson.[2] Her mother was the Chair of the Civil Service Commission and Human Relations Commission in Evanston, Illinois; her father graduated from the University of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering but according to Johnson, was unable to find work as a chemical engineer due to segregation.[2] Her father worked for the Chicago Fire Department, eventually becoming a battalion chief.[2]
Johnson moved with her family from Evanston to Libertyville in 1979.[3][4] She completed a BA in political science from Michigan State University[5] and a JD degree.[6]
Career edit
Johnson worked as prosecutor in Cook County and Lake County before taking a position at Allstate as a corporate attorney.[2][7][8] She served for nine years on the Libertyville Plan Commission board of appeals before running for office, and worked to develop the business presence in downtown Libertyville.[3][7] In 2007, she was elected to the Libertyville Board of Trustees.[7] Her work as a trustee included serving as the chair of the Streets Committee.[8] In 2018, while serving as a member of the Board of Trustees, she advocated for a pay increase for elected officials to help increase the number of qualified candidates for office.[9] As of 2020, Johnson was also serving as Chair of the Advocate Condell Medical Center Governing Board.[8][4]
After serving 14 years as a trustee, she was recruited by the current mayor Terry Weppler and others to run for mayor.[3][2] She ran unopposed and was elected mayor following the election on April 6, 2021.[10] She was sworn in on May 4, 2021.[2][4] She is the first Black mayor in the city's 185-year history. Libertyville has a Black population of 1.3%, according to the United States Census Bureau, and she is the second woman and first person of color to serve as mayor.[3][11]
After taking office, Johnson announced her priorities as including a balanced budget, the development of the downtown business district, and the promotion of small businesses.[12] During her tenure, a local cannabis sales tax was enacted for Libertyville,[13] and $170,000 was awarded to local businesses through the Libertyville High Five Grant program.[14] In March 2022, she announced the sale of the Libertyville indoor sports complex to the Canadian firm Canlan Sports for $3.13 million; the village had been trying to sell the complex for years due to high debt payments.[15]
Personal life edit
Johnson is a member of the Proclaimer Ministry of St. Joseph's Catholic Church.[4][8] She has two children.[5]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Libertyville Elects First Black Woman As Mayor In Village History". CBS Chicago. May 2021. Archived from the original on February 23, 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Le Mignot, Suzanne (May 23, 2021). "An Interview With Donna Johnson, Libertyville's First Black Woman Mayor". CBS Chicago.
- ^ a b c d Zawislak, Mick (May 7, 2021). "Johnson takes the helm in a year of change on the Libertyville village board". Daily Herald. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ a b c d Acharya, Pavan (May 25, 2021). "Meet Libertyville's New Mayor, Donna Johnson". Drops of Ink.
- ^ a b "Donna Johnson: Candidate Profile". Daily Herald. February 23, 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ "Donna Johnson: Candidate Profile". Daily Herald. March 10, 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ a b c Kambic, Rick (March 20, 2019). "What you need to know to decide the 4-way race for 3 Libertyville trustee seats". Libertyville Review. Pioneer Press. Retrieved 21 March 2022 – via Chicago Tribune.
- ^ a b c d "Libertyville candidates pull petitions for upcoming board races". Libertyville Review. Pioneer Press. October 22, 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2022 – via Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Kambic, Rick (October 11, 2018). "Wanting more than 'old white men' in office, Libertyville plans to increase mayor and trustee pay". Libertyville Review. Pioneer Press. Retrieved 21 March 2022 – via Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Norman, James T. (April 20, 2021). "Libertyville to welcome new mayor, 3 new trustees on Village Board following election". The Chicago Tribune.
- ^ "B03002 HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE - Libertyville - 2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. July 1, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
- ^ Norman, James T. (December 28, 2021). "2021 in Review: Libertyville elects new mayor and Village Board, sees students return to in-person learning full-time, adopts fee to deal with flooding preparedness". The Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Norman, James T. (August 20, 2021). "Libertyville trustees approve cannabis sales tax in effort 'to be good financial stewards'". Libertyville Review. Pioneer Press. Retrieved 21 March 2022 – via Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Norman, James T. (February 4, 2022). "Libertyville wraps up business grant program after awarding $170,000 to businesses in town; 'Overall it was a tremendous success'". Libertyville Review. Pioneer Press. Retrieved 21 March 2022 – via Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Zawislak, Mick (March 1, 2023). "'It's a big win for us': Sale of Libertyville's indoor sports complex to Canadian firm now final". Daily Herald.