Lakewood village officials search for trustee to fill empty position

The Lakewood Board of Trustees is looking to fill a position after trustee April Runge left the board last week.

Runge was elected in 2021 to a four-year term that would have ended in 2025. She left the board to attend to “other commitments,” Runge said.

In her final meeting on Nov. 14, Runge said she appreciated the staff that dedicated their work to making Lakewood a better place.

“Thank you for your transparency and all that we have accomplished,” she said.

Runge will be on the Village of Lakewood Community Foundation board. The first meeting will be in December, Village Manager Jean Heckman said.

The village will take a mandatory 30 days before filling the position, which will leave it short a trustee for two meetings.

When a trustee position opens before an election, the position is appointed by the president with input from village trustees, according to village documents.

The new trustee will carry out the remainder of Runge’s term, which ends on April 20, 2025.

In the open position posted on Lakewood’s website, the suggested qualifications request objectivity in applicants.

“You should have an ability to listen to opposing views and still keep a clear focus on where the real public interest lies, what is not only within the law but also fair, and the ability to distinguish between fact and opinion,” the post said.

Other requirements include being a Lakewood resident, attending all scheduled meetings and being prepared to contribute to meeting discussions.

The village board of trustees meet at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at Crosspoint Lutheran Church.

Village President David Stavropoulos said he remembered when he first met Runge at Veteran Acres Park in 2020. He said she was eager for change with data to backup her viewpoints.

“She had a plethora of charts, graphs and bullet points all listed on there,” he said. “Information that was intended to be presented to those that were willing to listen and with the desired goal of bringing light to the ongoings of Lakewood at the time.”

Residents can apply for the position by emailing Heckman at jheckman@village.lakewood.il.us by Monday, Dec. 18.