The city of Park Ridge needs a few good volunteers, putting out a call for volunteers to apply to sit on various boards and commissions.
At least nine residents have applied for volunteer positions to fill board and commission vacancies in the north suburban town, according to city spokeswoman Brigid Madden.
Madden told Pioneer Press the number of applications received as of presstime Tuesday are three for Community Health Commission, one for O’Hare Airport Commission and five for Zoning Board of Appeals.
“Zoning Board always has a pretty strong response where there actually will be deliberation amongst the Mayor’s Advisory Board,” Madden said. “O’Hare and Health, that [application count] just covers the number of vacancies we have. That’s about typical for those boards.”
According to the city of Park Ridge website, the Zoning Board of Appeals hears requests for variations and interpretations to the city’s zoning ordinance, and can approve certain variances in cases of hardship and recommend other variances for final approval by the City Council.
Madden said the seven-member ZBA will have three vacancies after Rebecca Leslie, who is the current chair, and Garrick Bunting and Frank Serio each complete their five-year terms expiring Dec. 31.
Bunting and Leslie, who Madden said each will have served 10 years over two terms on the zoning board, chose not to seek reappointment while Serio is seeking to be reappointed to his third five-year term, which would expire Dec. 31, 2030.
“If someone’s term is coming due for expiration, their term is included in the (vacancy) count as they do need to be replaced,” Madden said. “It’s not a guarantee that you’ll continue to serve.”
According to the city website, the Community Health Commission focuses on disease education and prevention, emergency preparedness and resiliency, environmental health and sustainability, outreach to special populations, substance use and mental health, and wellness and safety.
Madden said the 11-member Community Health Commission is looking to fill vacancies to replace Joanna Doran, whose term expires Sept. 30, 2026, Kim DiFranco, whose term expires Sept. 30, 2027, and Sharon Grande, whose term expires Sept. 30, 2028.
“The expiration dates are staggered to ensure continuity of the work they’re doing. So we’ll see (vacancies) come up on a regular basis,” Madden said.
Grande, who currently chairs the commission, has continued to serve after her three-year term expired on Sept. 30 because Madden said a fall call for volunteers filled some vacancies but left what would have been a new term for Grande outstanding.
Madden said Grande has served six years over two terms on the Community Health Commission, Doran has served two terms and DiFranco has served less than a year of an initial term after being appointed to the commission earlier in 2025.
The Community Health Commission has what Madden called a broad membership base including a nurse, a gym owner, a psychiatrist, attorneys, and communication and marketing professionals.
“It’s great to see we already have applicants for Community Health and O’Hare that have had some vacancies open for a little more than other boards and commissions,” Madden said. “It’s exciting to see that those will be fully staffed soon.”
The city website explains that the O’Hare Airport Commission provides a forum for public discussion and serves as an advocate for reasonable sound and environmental levels associated with flights flying to and from nearby O’Hare International Airport over Park Ridge.
The O’Hare Airport Commission chair, who currently is Iain Duncan Wright, also attends O’Hare Noise Compatibility Commission meetings, which Madden said focus on reducing aircraft noise via initiatives including the Fly Quiet and O’Hare Residential Sound Insulation programs.
Madden said the seven-member O’Hare Airport Commission is looking to fill one vacancy for a term that expires June 30, 2027, after Kristine Ackeret served the maximum allowed of three full three-year terms.
“We did some appointments to O’Hare over the summer but there was this lingering vacancy that wasn’t filled, so we recently reposted that remaining vacancy on O’Hare,” Madden said.
O’Hare Airport Commission members tend to be impacted residents who Madden said are looking for an opportunity to learn more and share that information with their neighbors and others in the community.
A Dec. 10 deadline was scheduled for applications for the Community Health Commission, O’Hare Airport Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals vacancies.
“Volunteers bring more diverse perspectives,” Madden said. “Oftentimes you’ll see subject matter experience.”
The Mayor’s Advisory Board consisting of Alderpeople John Moran, 1st Ward, Fred Sanchez, 2nd Ward, Joseph Steinfels, 5th Ward, Lauren Rapisand, 6th Ward, and Mwende Lefler, 7th Ward, are slated to begin interviewing potential appointees Jan. 5.
“They’ll do interviews that night and their recommendations are forwarded on to Mayor Marty Maloney,” Madden said. “If he approves those, it will move forward to the next City Council agenda for final approval.”
According to Madden, the earliest that Community Health Commission, O’Hare Airport Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals appointees could be voted on is the Jan. 20 Park Ridge City Council meeting.
Jessi Virtusio is a freelancer.
