From the professional
staff to the elected officials and civil servants, the City
of Zion is run by a group of dedicated and experienced individuals.
Here you can learn more about the role each plays in making
Zion a wonderful place to live.
Mayor
Lane Harrison, a lifelong resident of Zion, was elected to
the Zion Benton High School Board of Education in 1979 and
served as Board Secretary from 1984 until 1987. He was elected
to the Zion City Council in 1987 and held the office of Commissioner
of Public Property and then Commissioner of Public Health
and Safety until 1995. In 1999 he was elected Mayor of the
City of Zion with 70% of the vote. Since taking office, some
of his accomplishments include:
- The Zion Downtown Development Program, which provides
capital for Zion business owners to improve the facades
of their businesses.
- The Streetscape Program, which has drastically improved the face of our downtown business district.
- The creation of the Business Development Council, which
is charged with creating a positive business climate and
supplying the personnel to bring new business to our community.
- The creation of the Fine Arts Council, which in cooperation
with all of the city's taxing bodies and private partnership,
including Midwestern Regional Medical Center, will bring
Zion it's first ever working Artists' Center.
- Leadership that has created an atmosphere of renovation,
new business development and new revenue for the community
of Zion.
Commissioner of Accounts and Finance
The primary responsibility of Commissioner Bennett is to direct
the affairs of the city concerning Financial Records, Audits,
Collections, Accounts Payable, Budgets, Payroll, Labor Contracts
and Waste Contracts. This is an elected part-time position
with a staff of full-time professionals who handle the actual
accounting and financial functions for the city. In this capacity,
the Director of Accounts and Finance, Finance Staff and the
Treasurer are under the direction of the Commissioner.
In practical language, this department handles the water bills,
paychecks, revenues, bill collection, financial reporting
and records. It is the responsibility of the Commissioner
of Finance to report to the City Council and Public the financial
state of the city. It is also his responsibility to make recommended
changes to ensure financial stability for the city.
The Finance Commissioner is also Mayor Pro Tem and serves
only if the Mayor is unable or unavailable to function as
Mayor. As one of the five Members of the City Council, the
Commissioner serves with the other Commissioners and Mayor
as the policymaking and authoritative body of the city government.
Commissioner of Public Works
Jim first served on the City Council 1983-1987. He
returned in August 1994 and worked consistently as the Commissioner
of Accounts and Finance as well as Mayor Pro Tem until he
was asked to oversee the Department of Public Works in 2001.
Other service to the community included six years as a Commissioner
of the Zion Park District Board, including the role of President
in 1983. Mr. Taylor served the Zion Elementary School District
6 during a distinguished 35-year career as an instructor of
geography and physical education for six years, principal
of Central Junior High School for 20 years and finally as
the Superintendent of the District for the last five years.
He retired from the District in June of 2002.
Mr. Taylor is a product of the community having attended District
6 and the Zion-Benton Township High School after moving to
Zion in 1950. He and wife Lynette (O'Rear) have four daughters
who also grew up in Zion and attended Zion schools.
Commissioner Taylor oversees, through his department head,
all matters related to streets and utilities in terms of installation,
maintenance and planning. The Public Works Department also
schedules leaf pick up, hydrant flushing, snow plowing, water
purity testing, engineering review for all new developments,
sign and lighting installation and repairs as well as fleet
maintenance of all city equipment. The long-term goal of Mr.
Taylor with the joint efforts of the Mayor and fellow Commissioners
is to promote positive economically sound growth and development
for the benefit of all of our taxing bodies. Such growth is
necessary to ensure Zion is able to improve and maintain its
public infrastructure, schools, parks, library and city services.
Commissioner of Public Health and
Safety
Commissioner DeTienne is a graduate of Zion-Benton Township
High School and received his police training through the University
of Virginia Division of Criminal Justice as well as the Federal
Bureau of Investigation located in Quantico, Va. Lloyd joined
the Zion Police Department in 1957 and enjoyed a distinguished
career as a patrolman, detective, juvenile officer and was
promoted to Chief of Police in 1963. He served in that role
until 1971 and then relocated to serve as Police Chief in
Gunnison, Colo. as well as Marshfield, Wis.
Returning to Zion in 1983, Commissioner DeTienne served as
the Assistant Director of Security for American International
Hospital, now known as Midwestern Regional Medical Center.
In 1983, Lloyd was asked to take on the role of Chief Deputy
Coroner for the Lake County Coroner's Office until he was
recruited by then Mayor Adeline Geo-Karis to return to Zion
as the Chief of Police.
Retiring from police work in 1994, he and wife Sally traveled
extensively visiting their four children, fishing, reading,
biking and hunting. In 2001, he once again found himself asked
to return to Zion full-time and consider the role of City
Commissioner. He was handily elected and currently serves
as the Commissioner of Health and Public Safety.
Commissioner DeTienne is responsible for setting the policies
of the Police and the Fire Departments. Although both agencies
are union operations the Commissioner is still involved in
the direction of non-union personnel, budgeting, equipment
and policy direction. In the recent drive for C.A.L.E.A. accreditation,
the Commissioner has resolved to find the personnel and funds
needed to make this goal a reality. The Police Department
offers our residents the D.A.R.E. program to encourage elementary-aged
students to choose to be drug free. The department also directs
the all-volunteer Citizens Advisory Panel that hears issues
from residents involving police actions or policies. The Fire
Department is very active in promoting fire prevention education
through tours, demonstrations and literature to the schools
and general public. As Zion is a major sponsor of the regional
response effort, the Fire and Rescue Department has been making
great use of the city's recently acquired buildings. These
structures are used for training purposes prior to demolition
giving our firefighters invaluable and practical experience
to recall when seconds count and lives are at stake.
Commissioner of Building and Public
Property
Graduating from Waukegan Township High School and Business
College, Ms. Winfrey raised four children while working as
the Manager of the Great Lakes Naval Hospital Equal Opportunity
Office. In addition, Ms. Winfrey made history as the first
African-American woman to be appointed to the Zion Zoning
Board of Appeals and followed soon to become the Board Chairperson,
a position she has retained for nearly 20 years. She also
served on the TIF District Review Board until being asked
to complete the current term of Commissioner of Building and
Public Property on the Zion City Council. Her other current
duties include Board of Directors for the Housing Finance
Corporation of Lake County, President of the Board of Directors
for the Faith Food Pantry and weekly volunteer. She is a Board
of Directors member of the Community Action Project (CAP),
active member of the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church
(35 years), member of the National Association of Retired
Federal Employees and Service Office for AARP and NAACP.
In 2002, Commissioner Winfrey made groundbreaking history
becoming the first African-American woman to join the Zion
City Council. In that role, her duties include supervising
all areas of permitting related to building, remodeling, zoning,
annexations and code compliance. In addition, the management
of all publicly owned property falls to her authority. Any
maintenance, use, lease, purchase or sale of these properties
comes through her recommendation to the council. The office
also supervises all property maintenance compliance for residents
and business owners, meaning that citations can be issued
to owners who do not keep their property in good order. Junk
cars are also monitored through this department and towed
when necessary. To honor those homeowners that make a special
effort to help Zion be as beautiful as possible the Department
sponsors the Home of the Month Program from April through
September providing our much appreciated homeowners with a
letter of commendation from the city as well as a gift certificate
from the Zion Chamber of Commerce.
To ensure that no one is burdened by the numerous ordinances
and requirements that come with the territory of this department,
the city created the Building Department Advisory Panel. This
is an all-volunteer group made up of homeowners that hear
appeals and issues related to the department including complaints
from residents who have received a ticket for a violation.
The panel has the authority to ask the commissioner to waive,
reduce, forgive or uphold any citation issued should they
feel the matter would be resolved to everyone's benefit. The
panel also reviews policy and practices to ensure that inspectors
are not overburdened and residents are treated with equity
and compassion.
Director of Economic Development
A lifelong resident of the Zion area and formally
trained in the study of architectural engineering, World and
Medieval History, Art and French literature, her career path
of teaching for the University of Wisconsin and University
of Paris was sent in a new direction with the closing of the
ComEd facility and the subsequent loss of formal art instruction
in the Zion Elementary school system. Fully supporting Mayor
Harrison's campaign vision of a self sufficient community
with a strong renewable tax base despite the loss of ComEd,
Ms. Rogers was elected to the City Council in the spring of
1999 and served as the Commissioner of Building and Public
Property until resigning at the request of the Mayor and City
Council to accept the position of Director of Economic Development
for the City of Zion in 2002.
Her primary duty in that role is to assist the Mayor and City
Council in establishing and maintaining a vibrant business
oriented tax base for the citizens of Zion. The department
actively recruits new developers by marketing the many assets
of the city to potential investors through trade show events,
media, business group affiliations, local and state government
agencies and grant opportunities. It is just as essential
that the existing business base is encouraged, expanded and
promoted in conjunction with attracting new projects. To this
end, the department oversees the Façade Grant Program
that makes funds available up to $150,000 to business owners
throughout the city. The Façade Program allows owners
to update storefronts, signage, landscaping, etc. and generally
improve their curb appeal in an ongoing effort to enhance
Zion's ability to attract and retain its customer base, particularly
in the historic downtown business corridor.
Chief of Police
Doug Malcolm has been a Zion resident for 30 years
and is married to Julie, a Project Manager for Abbott Laboratories.
Hired by the City of Zion in 1972 as a dispatcher, Doug has
led a commendable career as a patrolman, Juvenile Officer,
Investigator and member of the Drug Task Force. Malcolm was
appointed the Chief of Police by Mayor Harrison in May of
2000. Some of Chief Malcolm's achievements include Lake County
Youth Officer of the Year in 1981, Zion Exchange Club President
in 2000, Commercial Pilot license, 5th Degree Black Belt Tae
Kwon Do and he is bi-lingual in Spanish. Additionally, Chief
Malcolm was selected from a highly competitive pool to attend
the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va. during its 208th
season. This achievement led to a networking pool of professional
police resources that benefit all of Zion's residents. In
addition, Chief Malcolm has personally championed the move
to pursue the C.A.L.E.A. accreditation for the Zion Police
Department. This process will allow Zion to enjoy a professional
status achieved by only 7% of all Illinois Police Departments.
The duties are the direction of policy as set by the Commissioner
of Public Health and Safety and the City Council. In addition,
he prepares the annual budget including all personnel and
equipment requests, again for approval by his Commissioner
and the City Council. As Chief, he must also oversee that
policy set by the council in enforced uniformly throughout
the Department. This may include use of force, required tactical
training, whether or not the Department will have a separate
drug or gang task force, a canine unit or bicycle patrol unit.
If these divisions exist, it is the responsibility of the
Chief to direct his supervisory staff to monitor their performance
and compliance. The current push for the C.A.L.E.A. accreditation
is largely the result of Chief Malcolm's personal commitment
to the plan. He has the vision and drive to see that the department
meets the various requirements in the time line set by himself
and the council. He also serves as the public representative
of the Police Department for public functions, events and
meetings with the public and the City Council.
Fire Chief
Chief David LaBelle began his career with Zion as a
Firefighter in September of 1972. Advancing through the ranks
of Paramedic, Lieutenant and Captain, Dave was appointed as
Fire Chief in May of 2000. Mr. LaBelle is the fourth generation
of LaBelles in the Zion community as his great-grandparents
settled in the area prior to the city actually being founded.
He is married to Jill and together they have ten children
and ten grandchildren.
Director of Public Works
Brian R. Usher is Director of the Department of Public
Works and Engineering; he has served the City in this capacity
since 2000. He supervises a staff of 23 full-time and 8 part-time
employees providing general community services to the city's
25,000 residents.
Mr. Usher is responsible for the management of the four operating
divisions within the Department of Public Works. These operating
divisions are Street Maintenance, Engineering, Water &
Sewer, and Fleet Operations. Together these activities account
for services on more than 140 miles of street, fifteen thousand
parkway trees, and over 100 city owned vehicles, including
Police and Fire apparatus.
Mr. Usher was born and raised in Itasca, Illinois and began
his life of public service when he began working for the Itasca
Police Department when only 15 years old. He served as a firefighter/EMT
with the Itasca Volunteer Fire Department for four years until
suffering a disabling injury in a training accident. This
unique combination of education and experience has driven
his interest in emergency management and the concept of integrating
emergency services. Previous employment includes Maintenance
Superintendent for the Village of Arlington Heights, Illinois
and Street Superintendent for the Village of Glendale Heights,
Illinois.
Mr. Usher has served as a speaker on numerous topics within
the Chicago metropolitan area. Additionally, he has twice
made presentations on snow and ice control operations at the
North American Snow Conference. He has also twice presented
at the American Public Works Association International Congress,
addressing Public Works role in Emergency Management (Denver
- 1999), and Mutual Aid Agreements for Public Works (Kansas
City - 2002). Mr. Usher has been an instructor for FEMA at
the Emergency Management Institute since 1998.
Mr. Usher is active in the American Public Works Association
where he has served in numerous leadership roles. He has had
three articles published in the national trade periodicals
Public Works magazine, APWA Reporter, and Better Roads magazine.
He currently serves the National APWA as both a member of
the Emergency Management Committee and Chairman of the organizations
Homeland Security Task Force.
Mr. Usher lives in Zion with his wife, Teri.
Building Department
John joined Zion's building department in 1992 as a
building inspector. He was appointed Director of Building
and Zoning Department in May 2000 after becoming certified
as an inspector and plan reviewer. He was recently been sworn
in as a Director of the Board of Directors of Chapter #35
Northwest Building Officials and Code Administrators. This
organization is a chapter of B.O.C.A., primarily charged with
coordination of efforts and education of building and code
officials throughout the United States.
John was born and raised in rural Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
He married the former Jane Albery and has two children and
eight grandchildren. Before coming to Zion, he held positions
ranging from owner of a contracting service to management
positions at Wickes Lumber and McDonald's.
Director of Finance
Hired by the City of Zion in February of 2002, Mr.
Schneider has been a lifelong resident of the Zion and Beach
Park area. Graduating from Northern Illinois University in
1987, Greg successfully passed the Certified Public Accounting
exam and served as Comptroller for Lake County Illinois for
over nine years. Testing the private sector, Greg worked for
a small CPA firm in Naperville, IL for two years but found
his true calling was governmental accounting. Greg is the
first person to serve as the Director of Accounts and Finance
for the City of Zion as this is a newly created post intended
to professionally oversee the city's financial investments.
Under the direction of his Commissioner, Greg must prepare
the budget for approval by City Council. He provides the research
to establish the amount the city must levy in taxes to meet
its obligations. He also invests city funds to maximize our
available cash reserves. This department also manages the
billing and collection for all departments, e.g. water, garbage,
sewer, liens for unpaid tickets, payroll, land purchases,
etc. All invoicing, purchase orders, contract installments
and budget review are handled through this office. Greg, as
the director, is responsible to see that all accounts are
balanced and that supporting documentation, such as minutes
of council actions, is attached for each expense. He oversees
the personnel of the department with the approval of his commissioner.
City Clerk
Judy L. Mackey has served as City Clerk for the City
of Zion & Township Clerk for Zion Township since 1990.
She has been a resident of the community for 28 years. The
main responsibilities of her office include:
- Administering legislative processes of municipality and
township
- Elections administration
- Serving as Human Resource director for city employees
- Records/Information management
- Business Licenses
- Special event permits
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