Lake County Forest Preserves elects new leadership

LIBERTYVILLE – At a special meeting Dec. 2, the Board of Commissioners elected Jessica Vealitzek (District 10) to serve as president of the Lake County Forest Preserves.

The Board also elected Gina Roberts (District 4) to serve as vice president. Both will serve two-year terms ending December 2026.

“I’m honored to be elected by my peers to this role,” Vealitzek, who has been on the board for six years, said in a news release. “Lake County Forest Preserves is a world-class institution led by experts in their fields and I look forward to working with each of them,” she said during the special meeting.

Vealitzek, who served as chair of the operations committee, reflected on her early connection with nature, which began at age 4 during annual family trips to the Northwoods. More than 35 years later, “I fulfilled my lifelong dream when my family and I moved to a patch of land in Lake County surrounded by nature.”

Vealitzek holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lake Forest College, a Master of Fine Arts from Roosevelt University and a certification in secondary English education from National Louis University.

She also thanked former President Angelo Kyle for his six years of service leading the Forest Preserves.

“During his tenure, the Preservation Foundation received record donations, we expanded forest preserve lands and trail connections and received consistent high marks from the public. You led with kindness and compassion,” Vealitzek said.

Roberts joined the board four years ago. She served as chair of the finance committee, vice chair of the legislative committee and is a member of the ethics, rules and diversity and cultural awareness committees.

“I want to thank everyone for having the confidence in me to serve as vice president of the Forest Preserves,” Roberts said in the release. “I look forward to this new position.”

As the newly elected leaders of the Forest Preserves, they will oversee more than 31,200 acres of natural lands, more than 200 miles of trails and a budget of $85,817,709 for the 2025 fiscal year, which runs from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31.

Along with the rest of the Board of Commissioners, the pair is also tasked with overseeing the expenditure of $155 million in capital funding approved by Lake County voters on Nov. 5. The funds will be used over the next decade to expand preserves, improve water and air quality, restore wetlands, prairies, savannas and forests to mitigate flooding and develop key trail connections while opening or redeveloping preserves.