Lawlor confident he'll leave Cook Library in good hands

Aaron Lawlor's expected appointment to the Lake County Board will create a significant leadership vacancy on the Cook Memorial Public Library District board, which Lawlor has led since 2005.

Lawlor's impending political shift comes at a critical time in Cook Memorial's history. A new, 20,000-square-foot library is being built in Vernon Hills, and the library building in downtown Libertyville will be expanded and remodeled.

But Lawlor insists the library board's toughest decisions on the $14 million projects, which should wrap up next year, are behind them.

"The heavy lifting has been done," said Lawlor, 26, a Vernon Hills Republican.

Lawlor hopes board Vice President Bonnie Quirke fills his shoes as library board president, but that decision is up to the board members.

The panel will have to appoint a new member, too.

Lawlor could be named to the county board during its meeting on Tuesday, July 14. He's county board Chairwoman's Suzi Schmidt's choice to replace longtime commissioner Pam Newton, a Long Grove Republican who resigned last month to become Hawthorn Woods' chief operating officer.

It's up to the full board to approve the nomination as well as Schmidt's candidates for two other vacancies on the panel. The county board doubles as the Lake County Forest Preserve District board, so he'd serve on that panel, too.

Lawlor was appointed to the library board in 2003. He won election in 2005 and re-election this past April.

In May, however, Newton announced plans to leave the county board. The next day, Lawlor said, she contacted him and asked if he was interested in the post.

He said he was honored by the inquiry.

"It shows you they're confident in your ability," Lawlor said.

If the county board approves his appointment, Lawlor will immediately resign from the library board because the two posts are legally incompatible. He'll also quit his full-time job as a staffer with U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk.

Lawlor's proud of the library board's biggest accomplishment during his tenure: Developing and enacting the current construction plan after years of political fighting and inaction on similar proposals.

His leadership abilities earned praise from library trustee Ann E. Oakley, who said Lawlor set "a very positive tone" for the once-feisty Cook Memorial board.

"I think he's got a lot of finesse," Oakley said. "I think he'll be a big asset (to the county)."