Lake County Board members sworn in

WAUKEGAN – Seven Lake County Board members, reelected in the Nov. 5 General Election, were officially sworn into office on Dec. 2.

The members sworn in were Adam Schlick (District 2), J. Kevin Hunter (District 5), Diane Hewitt (District 8), Mary Ross-Cunningham (District 9), Paras Parekh (District 12), Sandy Hart (District 13) and Sara Knizhnik (District 18)

Also at the meeting, the County Board reelected Sandy Hart as its chair and Mary Ross-Cunningham as its vice chair.

Hart has been on the board since 2012 and has served as the chair since 2018. Her district (District 13) includes Lake Bluff and portions of Gurnee, North Chicago and Waukegan. She has been a steadfast champion of government transparency, efficiency and ethics and has worked diligently to enhance and support behavioral health resources.

Under her leadership, she has emphasized investing in infrastructure, including stormwater management, roads and nonmotorized paths.

”I am honored to continue to work side-by-side with this dedicated board,” Hart said in a news release. “We’ve accomplished really great things in partnership with other government entities, nonprofits and volunteers through the guidance and support of Lake County’s outstanding employees. Utilizing our strategic plan, I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues to use this road map in continuing to make Lake County a great place to live, work and do business.”

Vice Chair Mary Ross-Cunningham, a board member since 2002 and vice chair since 2018, represents District 9, which includes parts of Waukegan and North Chicago. She has served as the chair of the County Board’s Law and Judicial Committee and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

In addition to her local work, Ross-Cunningham has represented Lake County nationally as the board’s representative for the National Association of Counties. Her key priorities include creating job opportunities and expanding access to affordable housing.

”The County Board will continue to work together as a team so that we can accomplish even more, now and in the future, that will benefit all of our residents,” Cunningham said in the release. “Every person on this board is ready to do the hard work to make our communities safer, more prosperous and healthier.”The Lake County Board has 19 elected members, each representing a specific geographic district.