Tinley Park Seats Its First Black Trustee

Tinley Park Trustees made its own history Tuesday evening, with the appointment of Kevin Suggs, Bremen Township's Republican commiteeman and the first black citizen to serve on the Village Board.

Suggs fills the seat vacated by Bernie Brady, who resigned in late March, less than a year after being named trustee to fill the void on the board created when Dave Seaman became mayor after Ed Zabrocki's resignation.

The addition of Suggs, 46, to the board, comes as the Village faces a federal lawsuit by the developer of apartment complex The Reserve. The lawsuit claims racism is at the root of opposition to the project.

"It's time to make sure we're as inclusive as we can be," Mayor Dave Seaman remarked on Suggs' appointment.

Suggs has volunteered on the village's Economic and Commercial Commission since 2011, reports the Chicago Tribune. The group is involved in economic development, business retention, and marketing. He also previously ran for a seat on the Bremen Community High School District 228 Board of Education. That bid was unsuccessful.

He has lived in Tinley Park since 1997, and is employed as a technical sales representative for Archway Sales. He attained his bachelor's degree in pre-medicine in 1991 from the University of Notre Dame.

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