Political party

Democratic but have taken $0 from my party or governor’s campaign

Age

32

Town of residence

Naperville

Current occupation and employer

Full-time Candidate, former Consumer Researcher who worked with a variety of Fortune 500 companies (e.g., Verizon, Disney, Kroger)

Education

A.B., Dartmouth College, 2008; Benet Academy Class of 2004

Immediate family

My husband, Sean, and I bought the house I grew up in to raise our kids near family. We recently celebrated our 10th anniversary in June, which was extra special as we had the gift of bringing our third child (Evelyn Rose) home from the hospital that day. Our "older" two children are August, born Sept 2014, and Millie, born Sept 2016. All of the kids love spending time with my parents, "Grammy" (or "Jammy" as Millie likes to say these days) and Grandpa Stava, who live nearby in Downers Grove.

Website

[ www.teamstavamurray.com ]

Civic involvement and volunteer work

Commissioner, Naperville Board of Fire and Police (appointed by Mayor), June 2017 - Present

My first civic activity was volunteering as a high school board member on the Naperville Board of Zoning Appeals from 2002-2004.

After graduating college into a recession (2008), I was very career-focused and then focused on my growing family until after the election of 2016.

Since then, I have not only volunteered as a commissioner on the Naperville BFPC, but have also organized events designed to call our elected officials and citizens to hold themselves to a higher ethical standard (Naperville March for Trump to release his tax returns, Naperville Charlottesville Vigil, Downers Grove Families Belong Together Rally).

Previous elected offices held

n/a

What should Illinois do to improve its business climate and promote job growth?

We need to stop enacting tax credits and incentives for large corporations that create a net drain on our state economy. Since new ventures aren’t profitable (and thus not taxable) for the first several years, a low corporate tax rate isn’t typically a top consideration for new entrepreneurs. Focusing on reducing regulatory burden (beyond removing barriers to start a company) also tends to favor existing industries vs. higher-growth areas. Our state legislature needs to focus on improving the basics: stabilizing our economy and improving public education opportunities and an ever-more skilled workforce that attract those who are starting businesses. Given that our state is at one of the lowest employment rates in recent history, more consideration should be given to dealing with wage and benefit stagnation plaguing the ever-shrinking middle class than job growth.

What gun control measures do you support at the state level?

I prefer to look at how we can reduce gun-related deaths in our state, which is a goal many can get behind. Nearly 3 in 5 gun related deaths are self-inflicted. We can implement “Means Matter” style initiatives recommended by the Harvard School of Public Health. There are also too many instances where someone who shouldn’t have a gun uses said gun to take someone else’s life. There are several types of legislation that can work to reduce this outcome, including but not limited to: passing and enforcing gun dealer licensing, incentivizing local law enforcement to disarm individuals whose FOID card has been revoked, and creating proactive legislation to deal with the looming era of 3D printed guns. Working to ensure new laws work for the majority of gun owners is something I consider an essential part of the process.

What are your thoughts on the steps Illinois has taken to address its pension crisis? What additional reforms are necessary?

Current solutions have left us in a state of financial crisis. The budget stalemate that led to an additional $1B in financial fees was obviously a disaster. Expert analysts pointed out a major flaw of our most recent budget was the unrealistic projection regarding how many pension recipients would voluntarily opt for a lump sum payment. We need to fix our pension debt underfunding via financial best practices. More responsible debt management (level-dollar amortization vs. backloading) & cost control practices (e.g., pension fund management expenses) need implementation. Additional revenue via pension obligation bonds and longer-term sources is necessary. New revenue can work towards two goals often unnecessarily pitted against each other: economic growth and an equitable economy. As such, I support ending the adult (age 21+) marijuana prohibition, which prevents the regulation and taxation of a widely occurring activity. With this should come responsible regulation & public health tracking.

The current political climate across the United States seems more divided than ever. What will you do to foster cooperation and compromise among members of the Illinois General Assembly?

My approach to problem solving is to focus on defining the problem in the most accurate way possible. Once this happens, the solution often becomes obvious and actionable. By focusing on working together to come to a common definition and understanding of problems, we can find solutions that work for the majority of Illinoisans. Beyond this, hyper-partisanship worsens when party rhetoric is repeated rather than listening to one another and coming to a mutual understanding. I am committed to continuing to have conversations with people of many different perspectives and breaking down these traditional barriers.