Northbrook Caucus Committee as a Whole recommends candidates for Nov. 15 Town Hall meeting

The process of recommending a slate of candidates to Northbrook residents sounds much more whimsical than it probably is.

"As the leadership of the caucus, our job is to wind up the toy and let it run," said Mark Cohen, chairman of the Northbrook Caucus Committee as a Whole.

Once wound, the toy ran for a long time on Sunday night.

Expecting it'd take about an hour for the Northbrook Caucus subcommittees to make their recommendations to the Committee as a Whole, it instead took about four hours in a remote meeting over Zoom.

Though the talks were "very contentious," Cohen liked the content: "I didn't hear a single person on this who was not capable," he said.

Applications for available leadership roles as Village Board president, on the board of trustees and on the boards of the Northbrook Public Library, Park District and school districts 27 and 28 were due by Oct. 5 or, for District 27, Oct. 9. Candidates were then interviewed by the subcommittees for endorsement by the caucus Committee of the Whole on Nov. 8.

During a virtual Town Hall meeting open to the public on Nov. 15, slated and non-slated candidates nominated from the floor will have a chance to speak. Attendees can then vote on the candidates and the formal endorsement by the Northbrook Caucus will be announced.

Registration is required for the Nov. 15 Town Hall; visit northbrookcaucus.org.

Candidates endorsed by the caucus will run for election on April 6, 2021.

Those recommended by the Northbrook Caucus Committee as a Whole on included a candidate for Village Board president; three spots on the board; the village clerk; five spots for the Northbrook School District 27 board; four spots for the Northbrook School District 28 board.

Village Board president: Kathryn Ciesla, a 12-year board member.

Village clerk: Incumbent Debbie Ford.

Village board of trustees: Incumbents Muriel Collison and Dan Pepoon, and Joy Ebhomielen.

Park District board: Incumbents Lisa Chalem and Michel Schyman, and Michael Goodman.

Library Board: Incumbents Jami Xu and Abby Young, and Barbara Unikel.

District 27: Incumbents Martha Carlos and Melissa Copeland, and Matthew Basinger, Gali Oren-Amit and Daniel Terrien.

District 28: Incumbent Jennifer Gallinson, and DeShawn Arms, Matt Cassidy and Shweta Jinkala.

Cohen seeks a large turnout for the Nov. 15 virtual Town Hall meeting.

"The more people who show up, the better the process," he said.