Park Ridge resident Kelly Schaefer is the newest member of the Maine Township Town Board of Trustees.
Schaefer was appointed trustee during the town board’s Aug. 23 meeting and will fill a vacancy created by the appointment of trustee Walter Kazmierczak to highway commissioner on Aug. 1.
Schaefer’s term on the Republican-dominated board ends in April 2017.
Schaefer, a customer service representative for Delta Airlines, ran briefly as a write-in Republican candidate during the 55th District State House primary in 2012. She bowed out of the race to support Susan Sweeney, who also ran as a write-in candidate during the primary, but lost to Democrat Marty Moylan in the general election that year.
Schaefer said she submitted an application for the Maine Township trustee position after reading about the vacancy created on the board, which consists of four trustees, a supervisor, clerk, assessor and highway commissioner, all elected positions.
“I just think Maine Township offers so many great things, and I’ve used them,” Schaefer said when asked about her interest in the position. “I’ve gone there for passport services, for tax stuff, and they’ve always been so nice to me.
“I thought, this is the time for me to see if I can be a part of this,” she added.
Schaefer said township trustees interviewed her by phone prior to her appointment to the board.
Calls to Township Supervisor Carol Teschky regarding the appointment process and the number of residents who applied were not returned early this week.
Schaefer said she has not decided if she will run for a full four-year term next spring. She said she hopes to focus on youth assistance during her time on the board.
A mother of three adult children, Schaefer volunteered with Boy and Girl Scouts and parent-teacher organizations while her children were in elementary school. At Maine South, she served on parent groups connected to football, wrestling and the Hawkettes dance team.
Schaefer said her involvement in politics has included managing the campaigns of Cook County Circuit Court Judge Eileen O’Neill Burke and Maine Township Trustee Laura Morask, who also ran for Cook County judge.
In a statement issued by Maine Township, Teschky said, “We welcome Kelly as our new trustee and look forward to her bringing a wealth of local knowledge and civic involvement to Maine Township government.”
Twitter: @Jen_Tribune
