Donna Johnson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mayor of Libertyville, Illinois | |
| In office May 4, 2021 –Incumbent | |
| Preceded by | Terry Weppler |
| Libertyville Board of Trustees | |
| In office 2007–2021 | |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Independent |
| Residence(s) | Libertyville,Illinois |
Donna Johnson is an American politician. In 2021,she became the first Black woman elected mayor of Libertyville,Illinois. [1]
Johnson is the daughter of Carol and Donald Tyler Johnson. [2] Her mother was the Chair of the Civil Service Commission and Human Relations Commission in Evanston,Illinois;her father graduated from the University of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering but according to Johnson,was unable to find work as a chemical engineer due to segregation. [2] Her father worked for the Chicago Fire Department,eventually becoming a battalion chief. [2]
Johnson moved with her family from Evanston to Libertyville in 1979. [3] [4] She completed a BA in political science from Michigan State University [5] and a JD degree. [6]
Johnson worked as prosecutor in Cook County and Lake County before taking a position at Allstate as a corporate attorney. [2] [7] [8] She served for nine years on the Libertyville Plan Commission board of appeals before running for office,and worked to develop the business presence in downtown Libertyville. [3] [7] In 2007,she was elected to the Libertyville Board of Trustees. [7] Her work as a trustee included serving as the chair of the Streets Committee. [8] In 2018,while serving as a member of the Board of Trustees,she advocated for a pay increase for elected officials to help increase the number of qualified candidates for office. [9] As of 2020,Johnson was also serving as Chair of the Advocate Condell Medical Center Governing Board. [8] [4]
After serving 14 years as a trustee,she was recruited by the current mayor Terry Weppler and others to run for mayor. [3] [2] She ran unopposed and was elected mayor following the election on April 6,2021. [10] She was sworn in on May 4,2021. [2] [4] She is the first Black mayor in the city's 185-year history. Libertyville has a Black population of 1.3%,according to the United States Census Bureau,and she is the second woman and first person of color to serve as mayor. [3] [11]
After taking office,Johnson announced her priorities as including a balanced budget,the development of the downtown business district,and the promotion of small businesses. [12] During her tenure,a local cannabis sales tax was enacted for Libertyville, [13] and $170,000 was awarded to local businesses through the Libertyville High Five Grant program. [14] In March 2022,she announced the sale of the Libertyville indoor sports complex to the Canadian firm Canlan Sports for $3.13 million;the village had been trying to sell the complex for years due to high debt payments. [15]
Johnson is a member of the Proclaimer Ministry of St. Joseph's Catholic Church. [4] [8] She has two children. [5]