Participate in Skokie Voice

Committees

Your participation is the key to making Skokie Voice strong and effective.      
  The following committees are now active and open to all SV members:

                          Community Safety   *   Economic Development     
                                Environment   *   Housing   *   Schools
               
Join a Skokie Voice Committee!
If you are interested in joining a committee, please get in touch  
via the CONTACT SV page, and the committee chair will contact you. 

                                         Committees
            
COMMUNITY SAFETY
Chair: Jeff Burman
     The mission of the Skokie Voice Community Safety Committee is to encourage and be a source for two-way communication between residents and Village public safety officials, in particular the Skokie Police Department.    
     The committee will coordinate a public forum on    community safety to be held in mid-2012.
     The committee has also partnered with the SPD to create  CS Outreach, a Q&A dialogue on public-safety issues, which appears on the Community Issues page.
    
HOUSING
Chair: Julie Naumiak
    The mission of the Skokie Voice Housing Committee     is to understand the variety of issues surrounding property standards and housing options. The committee is actively working to learn how to help residents communicate with Village officials to address and resolve housing-related issues.
     In its first meeting of 2012, the committee discussed a Cook County program that offers assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure. For information on the Foreclosure Mediation Program, visit http://cookcountyforeclosurehelp.org/.
    The committee also coordinated the June 22, 2011, Skokie Voice Community Forum on local housing issues, a report about which appears on the Community
Issues page.


MEMBERSHIP
Chair: Bonnie Fell
    Complete information appears on the Membership page.

Sign up for a Skokie Voice committee through our Contact SV page. State your interest, and the committee chair will contact you.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Chair: Brian Novak 
    The mission of the Skokie Voice Economic Development Committee is to facilitate dialogue on economic development issues among residents, the local business community and Village officials.    
     The committee is currently coordinating the upcoming Skokie Voice Community Forum on Economic Development to be held at 7 p.m. on Feb. 22 on Oakton Community Center. Complete details about the forum appear on the Calendar page.
     The committee also planned the Smart Skokie Forum on July 20, 2011, which highlighted alternative ideas for economic development and featured a brainstorming session in breakout groups. 

SCHOOLS
Chair: Cindy Gonzalez Latin
    The mission of the Skokie Voice Schools Committee is to gather information to better understand the issues affecting schools in Skokie with the goal of increasing  communication between residents and community leaders.    
    In 2012 the committee will maintain its contacts with school district leaders and plan an autumn community forum on local school-related issues.
    The committee also coordinated the Oct. 19, 2011, Skokie Voice Community Forum on Skokie public schools, a report about which appears on the SV website Home page. 
    
ENVIRONMENT
Chair: Ben Harris
   The mission of the Skokie Voice Environment Committee is to enhance awareness, education and participation in environmental initiatives and to make the Village of Skokie sustainable for generations to come.

                                Board of Directors  2012


                                          Lisa Lipin  Chair           Brian Novak  Vice Chair
                                       Jerry Kohn  Secretary     Sheila Gross  Treasurer

                                 Jeffrey Burman         Bonnie Fell          Eugene Salganik                     
                                 Gary Dolinko            Zariab Irfan         Seymour Schwartz       
                                 Roberta Dubrow     James S. Nasby     Babu Varma                       
                                 Marda Dunsky                                                    
 
Bios

Jeff Burman
    I have been a Skokie resident for 41 years. I am president of VantageAmerica Solutions, Inc., a marketing subsidiary of Guarantee Trust Life Insurance Company.
    I joined Skokie Voice because I hope to help restore Skokie to being the wonderful place to live that it once was. Over the years Skokie has been allowed to deteriorate. Crime is up, neighborhoods are crumbling and village services are eroding. All of this adds up to a declining community. 
    In the coming year I would like to see Skokie Voice grow.  The more members it will have, the louder and more effective our voice will be -- and the more it will be heard by local elected officials.
    I also serve as chair of the District 219 Education Foundation for Excellence. 

Gary Dolinko
    I have been a Skokie resident for 14 years. I work for a precious-metal refinery.
    I joined Skokie Voice because I care about the community in which I am invested. In the coming year I would like to see Skokie Voice add to its membership, involve more residents in leadership roles and facilitate village officials’ understanding of residents’ needs through transparency and communication.
     I am also the chairman of Neighbors for Strong Schools, am active in Better Funding for Better Schools and A+ Illinois and a member of the Chicago Jewelers’ Association.  

Roberta Dubrow
    I have been a Skokie resident for 45 years. I have worked as a paraprofessional in School District 69 for 33 years.
    I joined Skokie Voice because I would like to see Skokie become a safe, forward-looking and progressive community. In the coming year I would like to see Skokie Voice bring all residents of the community together to work for the common goal of re-establishing Skokie as a world-class community.
    I have been involved in various School District 69 activities including Parents Involved, passing the school district referendum and school board elections.

Marda Dunsky
    I am an editor and author and have lived in Skokie for 25 years.
    I joined Skokie Voice to further its mission of opening lines of communication between residents and Village officials. Over the past year Skokie Voice has succeeded in facilitating both dialogue and resident input on many community issues.
   In the coming year I would like to see SV continue on that path, specifically working together with Village leaders to address community safety and housing issues.
   In the past year I have served on the SV Community Safety Committee and have directed SV communications.

Bonnie Fell
    I have been a Skokie resident for 50 years. I have worked for 30 years as an advocate on behalf of children and families, focusing primarily on disability rights, health care and education.
    I joined Skokie Voice because I am concerned about the direction of the community. In the past year I served as membership chair. In the coming year I would like
to see Skokie Voice continue to develop dialogues in which Village officials and residents work together. 
    I served on the Niles Township Child and Adolescent Local Area Network for 16 years. I raised four children in Skokie and been active in school organizations.

Sheila Gross  
   I have been a Skokie resident for 32 years.Professionally, I oversee real estate properties in the Chicago and Milwaukee
areas that include low-income senior housing, market-rate apartments and a shopping center. 
   As a continuing Skokie Voice board member I will work for a safe and prosperous Skokie that people want to move to and work in. Skokie has many positive features but often seems to be overlooked by those looking to live on the North Shore. This past year I have been the SV board liaison to the  Environment Committee.
   I am also president of the Timber Ridge Home Owners’ Association. 

Zariab Irfan    I have been a Skokie resident for 10 years. I am a technology consultant for a global consulting firm.  
    I joined Skokie Voice to give Skokie residents an opportunity to be heard by village officials on important issues including safety, education, fiscal responsibility and transparent governance. 
    In the coming year I would like to see Skokie Voice play a prominent role in advocating for residents. I would also like Skokie Voice to grow its membership and broaden its focus to include improving transparency in governance, fiscal responsibility and lowering the burden of taxes through economic development.



Jerry Kohn
  I have been a Skokie resident for 25 years. I am an attorney for Securities and Exchange Commission.    
   I grew up in Skokie and moved back with my family in 2002. I gradually began to learn of a growing crime problem that was unheard of in previous years. I still believe Skokie is an ideal place to live, but I am concerned about street crime and deteriorating multi-family housing units.   
   I am a member of the Community Safety Committee. As a board member, I hope to work with other concerned residents to find solutions to restoring Skokie’s reputation as a safe place to live and raise a family.

Lisa Lipin 
     I have been a Skokie resident for 21 years. I am the office manager for The Custom Planning Group L.L.C., a financial planning firm. 
    I initiated the formation of Skokie Voice because I saw the need for Village officials to be more responsive to residents’concerns on a range of community issues.
    I would like to see Skokie Voice continue to grow its membership while working to keep Skokie a thriving and attractive place to live and work.
    I am also the chair of the School District 68 Nominating Committee (which screens and nominates Board of Education candidates) and a consumer advocate.

Jim Nasby
   I have been a Skokie resident for 40 years. I am a semi-retired design engineering manager (electrical and mechanical).    I joined Skokie Voice due to the dearth of homeowners associations and to help restore Skokie to the magical place it was when we first moved here. It is very important that Skokie residents have a much stronger voice in determining the future course of the Village.    
   I have served as treasurer of the Crawford-McCormick Homeowners Association and on the Saint Lamberts School Board. I'm active with various charities including the American Lung Association and Children’s Hospital. I am also a graduate of the Skokie Citizens Fire Academy.

Brian Novak
    I have been a Skokie resident for 5 years. I am an attorney by trade but presently focus on volunteer and community work.
    I joined Skokie Voice because as an active community member, I am committed to helping make Skokie a better place to live. In the coming year I would like to see Skokie Voice grow its membership and create a more symbiotic relationship with the village.
    I am also a member of the School District 73.5 School Board, the Niles Township District for Special Education board and the Village of Skokie Consumer Affairs Commission.

Eugene Salganik
    I have been a Skokie resident for 18 years. I am a senior mortgage consultant for the Alliant Credit Union.  
    I joined Skokie Voice because I want to see Skokie prosper. It has the potential; however I do not see much effort on the part of the village to promote Skokie’s assets, including its proximity to the city, access to public transportation, relatively low taxes, industrial base, school system and research park.
    In the coming year I would like to see Skokie Voice make a positive difference for Skokie residents.

Seymour Schwartz
     I have been a Skokie resident for 35 years. I am an emeritus professor of political and behavioral sciences. 
     I joined Skokie Voice because I believe that village officials need better input from residents about their concerns. As a non-partisan, grassroots organization, Skokie Voice has the potential to appeal to a broad spectrum of residents who are willing to be involved in their community.
    In the coming year I would like to see Skokie Voice have a significant impact on village officials’ awareness of residents’ concerns so that awareness can be translated into action. 
    I am also vice president of the Great Lakes Regional Board of ARZA – Association of Reform Zionists of America.

Babu Varma
    I have been a Skokie resident for 15 years. I am the business secretary at the Salvation Army College for Officer Training.
    I joined Skokie Voice because Skokie’s population has become significantly more diverse. As a member of the Indian community, I can serve as a liaison. In the coming year I would like to see Skokie Voice work for the welfare of all communities in Skokie on issues including neighborhood safety and economic development.
    I am also a member and joint secretary of Skokie’s Asian American Coalition, a member of the Indian Association, vice president of the Indian Christian Federation of the Midwest and a member of the Skokie Consumer Affairs Commission.