Tinsley: Pride In Community Inspired Supervisor Run

PLAINFIELD, IL — Al Tinsley, who was elected Plainfield Township supervisor as an unopposed write-in candidate on Tuesday, said one of the reasons he made his first foray into politics was to show high school football players his motivational speeches were not built on hollow rhetoric.

Tinsley, 59, who is retired after a career in quality assurance and corporate security for a Fortune 100 company, currently serves as a wide receivers and running backs coach at Plainfield South. He said he often talks to his players about accountability and pride.

"It's about making sure you have a sense of pride, not only in yourself, but in your community," Tinsley said. "Are you doing something for somebody who needs help? I felt the best way to communicate that message was by showing them that Coach actually practices what he preaches.

"I'm very proud of (entering government) and showing this is a way to make a positive impact on society, and we all should strive to do that."

After an initial attempt to join the race for Village of Plainfield Board of Trustees was scuppered due to what Tinsley said was a technicality on his petition, the longtime Plainfield resident quickly turned his attention to the race for supervisor. Tinsley said it was an opportunity to combine his sense of service with his professional expertise, which he described as: "successfully turning around underperforming departments for company executives by investigating and assessing process and procedure, writing detailed reports and implementing corrective actions."

Three years after a former Plainfield Township administrator resigned after admitting she stored her boat and jet skis rent-free on township property, supervisor Tony Fremarek was running for re-election unopposed. That is until he was indicted on federal charges and accused of embezzling $1.4 million from his former employer.

Tinsley joined the race as a write-in candidate, telling Patch he represented an "alternative" to Fremarek because "Plainfield Township deserved ethical leadership and increased government transparency."

Fremarek eventually heeded requests from other local politicians to drop out of the race and resign as supervisor, saying he wanted to devote more time to his family and work.

Fremarek's name remained the only one on the ballot, though any votes for him were nullified. Still, Fremarek ended up getting 2,916 votes to Tinsley’s 604.

Tinsley said he could have done a more thorough job of spreading the word about his candidacy, but nixed the idea of additional signage and flyers once he was running unopposed.

But Tinsley also said Fremarek’s nearly 3,000 votes helped illustrate one of the major talking points of his campaign: the need for more transparency and communication to create a better informed and engaged electorate.

"I have a lot of faith in people in general. I refuse to believe that those 3,000 people could know what he allegedly did and still vote for him," said Tinsley, who said he spent election night at home following the results with his wife, Rebecca.

Tinsley said he also learned his victory was significant for other reasons: he became the first person of color elected to office for Plainfield Township. At least, Tinsley said friends who are longtime followers of local politics said they can’t remember a person of color getting elected despite the area becoming increasingly diverse in recent decades, thanks to the growth of the Black and Hispanic communities. Tinsley said he's also heard Plainfield police officials talk about the need to increase diversity within that department.

"We're in the 21st Century and those types of things should just not be," Tinsley said. "We're going to do our best to have people in charge from our community who really represent everybody. So, little girls and boys can see police officers, trustees and supervisors who look like them."

Though Tinsley did not offer many specifics about the projects and issues he and the township board will tackle, he was very clear about how they would go about their business.

Tinsley talked about using social media to keep residents informed, televising and archiving all meetings and making sure the public is welcomed back when COVID-19 protocols allow, going out and meeting the people of Plainfield to hear their concerns, implementing specific processes and procedures so there is a clear sense of right and wrong and welcoming audits of the Township's financial records in the name of accountability.

Tinsley said it also will be important to establish a good working relationship with trustees and village staff. In fact, Tinsley said he’s already gotten to know Township Administrator Chuck Willard. Tinsley said Willard has done an "outstanding job" since taking over after the 2018 boat-storage scandal.

Willard said similar kind words about Tinsley.

"We have met several times now, and I am confident, based on (Tinsley's) knowledge and work history, that management of the township is in good, experienced hands," said Willard, who has been an elected official in the township since 1997.

Additionally, Tinsley said he and Acting Supervisor Matthew Starr had a lengthy and productive meeting Wednesday night, bonding over their involvement in youth sports and a desire to do what's best for Plainfield. Starr will remain a trustee when Tinsley is sworn in on May 17.

"Matthew is a talented individual who has worked with youth through athletics, and he has a passion for doing that," Tinsley said. "We sat there (Wednesday), neither one of us having met, but we want to pull in the same direction. We both want to see Plainfield flourish."

Tinsley continued: "(Starr) said he's committed to working with me, and I am with him. When I left the meeting, I felt very good about what the future holds for Plainfield Township."