Election 2018 candidate: Greg Hart, DuPage County Board District 3

Political party

Republican

Age

Town of residence

Hinsdale

Current occupation and employer

Management Consultant at Point B Inc.

Education

MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business (expected 2019)
B.A, Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Immediate family

Alexandra, wife
Madeleine, daughter (10 months)

Website

[ www.greghart.com ]

Civic involvement and volunteer work

DuPage County Board Member (September 2017-present)
DuPage County Health & Human Services Committee Chairman (May 2018-present)
Giving DuPage, Member of the Board of Directors (August 2018-present)
Fenwick High School Board of Directors, Institutional Advancement Committee Member (February 2016-present)
Chicago Lighthouse Charter School, Member of the Board of Directors (December 2011-June 2017)
Illinois Senate District 24 Legislative Advisory Council, Energy Committee Chairman (March 2015-August 2016)

Previous elected offices held

DuPage County Board Member (September 2017-present)

Why are you the best candidate for this office?

As a management consultant, I help some of the country's largest companies find innovative ways to boost productivity, identify efficiencies, and operate more cost-effectively. Due largely to decisions made in Springfield, DuPage is in a position where it must make difficult organizational choices in order to provide services without raising taxes. ... Since my appointment to the Board last year, I successfully worked with Chairman Cronin and my colleagues to help government make difficult decisions about efficiency, headcount, and program funding. ... Aside from my professional qualifications, I believe my election would offer much needed generational diversity to the County Board. According to the US Census Bureau, more than a quarter of DuPage residents are under the age of 40. Yet, those under 40 currently represent just 5% of the Board's makeup. As DuPage's revenue streams become more dependent on millennial taxpayers, I believe it's important for our elected bodies to reflect the makeup of our community.

What issues specific to your district would you like to see addressed by the DuPage County Board?

I believe the prevalence of environmental hazards is the most important issue currently facing District 3. I share the concern and frustration expressed by residents in my district over the recent revelation that carcinogenic emissions were released by a Sterigenics International plant in Willowbrook. ... Chairman Cronin and I were ... two public officials who signed a letter demanding that Sterigenics immediately cease operations until it is certain there is no danger to the public. I also successfully passed a change to our building and zoning codes that further restricts the use of ethylene oxide – the carcinogen used at the Sterigenics facility – in unincorporated DuPage County. ... Flooding is another environmental hazard affecting thousands of District 3 residents. ... As a member of the Stormwater Management Committee, I have voted for intergovernmental agreements enabling DuPage County to better support District 3 municipalities with flood planning and infrastructure enhancements.

Where do you stand on consolidation efforts in DuPage County? What additional steps – if any – should be taken?

... I believe the Accountability, Consolidation, and Transparency (ACT) Initiative has been incredibly effective. I am proud that one of my first votes as a County Board member was to approve the consolidation of Highland Hills Sanitary District under the ACT Initiative, which saved thousands of DuPage residents from burdensome rate increases on their water bills. I also am a strong supporter of consolidating the Election Commission into the County Clerk's Office, an effort which I look forward to officially commencing through a County Board vote in January 2019. ... I support the Chairman’s view that the County Board should explore whether consolidation of other countywide offices, particularly the Recorder’s Office, would yield benefits to the taxpayer both in terms of cost savings and quality of service. ... As Chairman of the Health & Human Services Committee, I successfully worked with the Director of Community Services to consolidate its Psychiatric Services division into the County Health Department. This effort saved taxpayers $1 million this year. ...