​Laura Saret Is The Smart Choice for Highland Park City Council: Letter

Written and submitted by Larry Saret

Some may say I am biased.

Laura Saret is running for HP City Council and I am her husband. So of course, I am biased about Laura. I am also in the best position to describe those qualities that make her the right choice for City Council.

Laura is running for the seat vacated by Paul Frank. Her opponents are NOT incumbents Kaufman, Stone, and Knobel. She is NOT a political insider nor is she involved with any special interest groups in the city.

Laura has the traits that City Councilmen should have and that distinguish her from her opponents. She has significant experience and a track record of community volunteer involvement including: HP Housing Commission, Board of Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH), Board of HP Volunteer Pool, co-President of Ravinia Neighbors Association, and student mentor for College Bound Opportunities.

Laura is exceptionally honest, exercises leadership, independent judgment, believes in complete transparency in decision making, and has no business interests that could present conflicts of interest with city decisions. Likewise, I do not work on any city commissions or boards or have any business interests to present possible conflicts of interest.

Laura is retired from Oakton Community College (following years in the corporate world), where she was a Department Chair, Business and Computer Technologies Professor, and the Faculty President who led contract negotiation teams, confronted pension and strategic planning issues (she co-chaired the College’s Strategic Planning Committee), was Faculty Development coordinator, created the College’s Teaching and Learning Center, and engaged in interest-based, creative problem solving. In these roles, she helped students, faculty, and staff, even when it wasn’t her job. That is what a leader does.

Laura is smart with outstanding people skills. She has an MBA from the University of Chicago and a doctorate in adult education from NIU. Anyone who could satisfy an entire faculty, as Laura did at Oakton while negotiating a series of fair, fiscally responsible contracts with the college administration, has rare people skills.

Laura has the time to work for the people of HP. She does not have a full time job, as her opponents do, creating conflicting demands on their time and interests. She believes that serving on the City Council should be a volunteer activity just as commissions and other city boards are. Therefore, she plans on donating her City Council salary to not-for-profits benefitting Highland Park residents.

Laura is the right choice for HP City Council. She values diversity of opinion, transparent and ethical decision-making, and will listen. You can trust her to be your voice on the City Council. Her opponents lack anything close to her experience and abilities.

But of course, some may say I am biased.

Larry Saret
Highland Park