Mary Meirose Oppenheim: Deerfield Village Board Candidate

Name:  Mary Meirose Oppenheim

Campaign Website:  DeerfieldCaucusParty2013.com

How long have you lived in Deerfield: Since 1980 – 33 years

Are you an incumbent? Yes

How long have you served in your office: Since 2009

What political accomplishments are you most proud of?

First of all, I would call them civic accomplishments rather than political ones.   In 1996, I was honored to receive the “Those Who Excel” award of excellence from the Illinois State Board of Education for outstanding contributions to Illinois education.

I am reluctant to claim the accomplishments of the village board as my own, since all has been a collaborative effort, but during my tenure I am most proud that we have been able to rebuild and upgrade our Wastewater Reclamation Facility and do some other necessary major infrastructure projects by maximizing our use of grants and very low interest loans and still maintain our AAA bond rating. I’m especially happy that we will be saving our residents $2 million annually through the Electrical Aggregation Consortium that we set up.

What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?

Over the years, I have designed and built landscapes for literally thousands of clients with all kinds of properties from suburban homes to public parks to rooftop gardens in the heart of Chicago. Every garden made somebody happy and that’s an achievement I’m proud of. Some of the most challenging and rewarding projects were the Chicago Botanic Garden exhibit gardens that I did with Scott Byron & Co. for the Chicago Flower and Garden Show, and the display gardens that I designed and built with PCM Landscape Artistry for the Infant Welfare Showcase houses in Lake Forest.

What are the three most important issues facing the Deerfield Village Board?

1. Maintaining and upgrading our aging infrastructure and setting it on course for efficient operation in the future within the budget that we have.
2. Keeping our connections to the business community strong and working with them to revitalize our commercial areas as the economy continues to pick up.
3. Revising and streamlining our codes, requirements and permitting system to keep it up to date and user friendly and to encourage sustainability.

How do you distinguish yourself from your opponents?

I have a really well rounded knowledge of the village and the experience of working collaboratively with many different groups to get things accomplished.  Over the years I’ve put in the time and effort to understand the system and what our residents want, and I think I have a good idea of how we need to move forward.

My experience on the District 109 Board and the plan commission has given me a unique perspective regarding the various local governing bodies and how they interact. My professional expertise in the field of landscape contracting gives me a practical, hands on knowledge that has been very useful as we deal with land use and infrastructure projects, and my design training and experience allows me to understand and analyze the often complex development and esthetic issues we frequently deal with.

What is your professional background?

I have been a Landscape Designer for 25 years, working with a number of North Shore landscape contractors as well as consulting.

What is your educational background?

I have a BA from Northwestern University in Art and Sociology, and an AA from the College of Lake County in Horticulture and Landscape Design.

What other information would you like to share?

I just want to remind people to come out and vote. I think it’s so important that we all be informed about the issues facing the Village and that we all participate in the process. Whatever the outcome, we all need to be involved in making the decisions that determine our future.