The original item was published from October 19, 2020 1:44 PM to October 19, 2020 4:04 PM
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Lifelong Naperville resident Mary Lou Wehrli has been a Forest Preserve commissioner in DuPage County since 2012. She also has served as co-chair of DuPage Neighbors for Open Space, Clean Water and Clean Air, where she worked in 2006 to successfully promote the District’s $68 million referendum. After a six-year term on the Naperville Park District Board of Commissioners, including one year as president, she worked as an advocate for both the West Branch Regional Trail and the Greene Farm, which sparked her decision to step back into government. As one who applauds the tremendous work of Forest Preserve District volunteers, Mary Lou herself has donated time to serve on the boards of the Naperville Heritage Society, KidsMatter, the Riverwalk Foundation and Rotary Sunrise.
Mary Lou is committed to preserving the District’s native ecosystems and is a proponent of high stewardship standards. She believes that fiscal clarity and cautious spending are vital to managing the assets that DuPage County citizens have entrusted to the District’s board and supports intergovernmental cooperation and corporate partnerships to help the District make the most of its resources.
“Our forest preserves awaken a sense of wonder and peace in people of all ages,” she explains. “By tending to the business of the Forest Preserve District, we can be confident that our future will always include a connection to the rivers, prairies and forests of DuPage County, a connection that we can all carry even beyond our county’s borders.” "
Nominated by Deborah Venezia