Grayslake Village Board Race: Lalena Zoe Magnetta

GRAYSLAKE, IL — There are three incumbents and one newcomer vying for three open seats on the Grayslake Village Board this spring. Patch.com reached out to candidates, requesting they fill out a survey showcasing their views on various topics.

Here is the profile for incumbent Lalena Zoe Magnetta:

Age (as of Election Day)

38

Town/City of Residence

Grayslake

Office Sought

Village board or city council

Party Affiliation (if a partisan race)

N/A

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

N/A

Education

Master's of Science in Global Supply Chain Management (University of Southern California), Master of Business Administration (University of Redlands), Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certificate (USC)

Occupation

Senior Training Specialist at Siemens in Buffalo Grove - I am in training and development where as an educator for Building Automation Operators, Engineers, and Technicians. I have been instructing in classroom and virtual based environments for over 11 years to include a portion of my time in the Navy at Naval Station Great Lakes as a Recruit Division Commander.

Campaign website

www.GrayslakeStrong.com

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Village of Grayslake Trustee

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

From my engagement with the community - I feel the most pressing issue is our property taxes. We can address by keeping our portion of the property tax bill as low as possible and encouraging smart economic development to Grayslake. By incentivizing businesses to come to Grayslake we provide opportunities to gain revenue for our taxing districts that is NOT from the property tax-paying resident. Economic growth will also create a demand for existing housing and help push property values up.

Do you support Black Lives Matter and what are your thoughts on the demonstrations held since the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake?

It breaks my heart that we have to witness injustice across our nation. In order to move forward, we have to address our past. Bringing awareness to racial inequality is a must to enlighten others that we are all different. We come from different walks of life and we all collectively bring different, positive attributes to the table. I am a strong supporter of equal rights and the fair treatment of all. What has happened in our past should not be tolerated in our future and I do not tolerate any type of injustice or unfair treatment to another human, ever.

Do you think the current board has done enough to support racial equality, and if not, what specifically should be done to do so?

The Village of Grayslake and its Board of Trustees (past and present) have always ensured Grayslake has the highest standards of diversity, policing efforts, and ethical treatment of all. They have consistently endorsed all types of resources to promote equality as well as mitigate any type of concern or injustice to our Village. This has been successful through community involvement, community outreach and community policing to ensure the Village is responding immediately to concerns from our residents. I understand my own time on the board is still new, but I strongly believe that the board as well as the Village of Grayslake has a long-term commitment to safety, diversity, and racial equality for all. I look forward to contributing to evolving standards because there will always be the opportunity to do more.

What are your thoughts on the national and local coronavirus response? Do you favor measures such as limiting operation of non-essential businesses and restricting indoor/outdoor dining? And do you favor a local mask mandate?

The global pandemic has been hard on all people and communities. Unfortunately, small business owners have borne much of the burden. As a non-home rule community, the Village of Grayslake works in cooperation with the lake county health department and cannot make any mandates, but can encourage residents to listen to the experts, so we can put this pandemic behind us as soon as possible. The small business community of Grayslake is so important to our town and to the Village, and we have done our best to support them. We provided open for business kits, a takeout mailer to all residents, used our community notification system and worked with restaurants on outdoor dining spaces as desired. Maybe most helpful of all the Village has been able to provide cash payments to restaurants and retail shops to help them weather the financial storm of closures and restrictions, while the state worked on balancing the public health with the needs of the business community.

What are your thoughts on the state and local coronavirus vaccine distribution, and how do you think local governments should work together to handle vaccine rollout?

There is no denying that this pandemic has caused an immense level of complexity when trying to supply a vaccine to a massive amount of demand. As we continue to progress in vaccinating our population, we are learning more on how to effectively deliver the vaccine to the most amount of people in the quickest amount of time. In Lake County, we are very lucky to be able to not only vaccinate our residents, but also serve a large population of our active-duty military, veterans, and military families. The VA in North Chicago has had their own supply and has successfully been able to provide the vaccine to our military community. I feel this alone takes a large relief off our local government, efforts, and expenditures. If I was to offer one small consideration - I would make vaccinations available 24 hours a day and have a rotating staff provide the vaccine, all hours of the day, assuming supply is readily available. Having the Lake County Fairgrounds as a vaccination site has been wonderful but I feel we can always attempt to do more. I feel safe assuming the people who want the vaccine will schedule an appointment whenever possible. There are multiple organizations and entities involved with the strategic delivery of vaccines into our local areas and it shows how massive this task is for our health care workers and leaders in delivering this precious cargo to every single Illinoisan.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I feel the biggest difference between the other candidates and myself is my devotion to duty. I served in the Navy for 11 years and then took off that hat and assumed the role of Military Spouse to my active duty husband. During that time, I balanced being a full-time college student, fully employed, and volunteering and giving back to my community. I have a strong will to help others and that is at the core of everything I do.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

N/A

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

Our campaign platform is surrounded by strength and preservation. The Village of Grayslake has a balanced budget, zero debt and is extremely fiscally responsible. The incumbent board has worked with the Village to maintain infrastructure with low operating expenses that directly help and assist the residents at very little cost to them even during a global pandemic. We will continue to utilize low operating expenses and intergovernmental agreements with surrounding municipalities to reduce any burden we can for our residents and prioritize community improvements like Gelatin Park.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My eleven years in the Navy gave me the opportunity to serve others. I might not have realized that when I was 18; but in hindsight, I think about all the mentorship I have received and now it is my turn to pay it forward. I believe that having humility gives leaders the ability to motivate other's around them and spark change. My advocacy for women veterans nationwide has also given me the platform to speak on behalf of those who don't feel heard. Learning what challenges we've faced and obstacles we need to overcome gives me the fuel to never give up on "something you believe in". I also consider personal accomplishments beneficial to handling this role as I am a "career learner" obtaining two Master's Degrees, which took a lot of time, effort and dedication. I am goal oriented and I devote my full effort into things I resonate with. Serving my community is like my efforts in running the over 30 marathons I have in the past - it will be for the long haul - not just a sprint.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office as a success?

If I have the opportunity to help at least ONE person - that would make my term a success. However, I would love the opportunity to work with my fellow board members to establish an economic incentive program for Veterans who wish to start a business in Grayslake. Using my veteran background and expertise, I also envision collaborating with the Grayslake Area Park District to provide Veterans with resources needed for success and the College of Lake County in engaging veterans reentering the workforce after service at job fairs.

Why should voters trust you?

After about three months on the board, I was facetiming with Joyce Campbell asking her some “motherly advice”, as usual. She asked me: "What is it, Zoe, that you DON’T want to learn about Grayslake?" There was silence on the line, and you could clearly tell that my gears were turning, but no words were coming out. I was taken aback because I could not answer the question. She replied with: "See? You will never NOT want to learn more." We constantly learn, grow, and evolve throughout our lives and I am a strong believer that no one person knows everything. I constantly ask questions and communicate openly because that is the key to success. My life-long learning approach suits my position on the board because there is nothing, I don't want to learn about how to govern a Village; Especially ours.
The engagement I have demonstrated to our Village over the last decade is what I would expect from anyone wanting to make a difference in other’s lives. Bringing awareness to resources to those in need or taking charge in the responsibilities that I have been given will ultimately affect the greater good and I dutifully recognize that. It is my mission to actively participate with all residents and businesses in Grayslake because this is our home. I will work tireless to provide harmony for others because in the end that is what we all deserve.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the use of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?

My views on fiscal policy for the Village are the same in my personal finances. We all have inputs, and we all have outputs. What comes in determines what can go out. If we are mindful of our revenue stream, and treat it with respect and honesty, then we can dutifully determine what expenses can be made and allocated for what we want. Running our community should be like how we run our own households. Is it a want, or is it a need? Determining and prioritizing needs versus wants with a responsible mindset should be in the forefront of our thought process when maintaining a budget on this scale.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

Not at all.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

A quote from Eleanor Roosevelt shared with me was: “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” This is my mantra on how I tackle obstacles and overcome challenges. If everything in life was easy, everybody would have everything. We must do the things we think we cannot do because that makes us stronger and makes us smarter for the future.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am honored and humbled to serve on the Grayslake Village Board. I strongly believe with my devotion to public service paired with my extensive post-graduate education in business, I can (and will) make a difference in long-term decision making for our Village as a whole. I have always envisioned a leader to have dedication to community just like how I live in Grayslake:
• An active member, helping where and when I can,
• Thoughtful communication on how we collectively can make a difference,
• Transparency with critical conversations that include everyone involved,
• Not being afraid to ask the tough question or ask for help,
• Collaboration on being a good steward to the community while making long lasting smart economic decisions, and
• Demanding of a safe environment where we feel valued and secure.