Sugar Grove’s new village president is ready to get down to work

SUGAR GROVE – As newly elected village president, Jennifer Konen is poised to make some changes after she is sworn in May 4.

And it’s starting with meeting more than twice a month on the first and third Tuesday, she said.

The extra Tuesday sessions will be planning meetings, she said.

“This is not business as usual,” Konen said. “Every Tuesday in May, we are having a meeting. It’s not the norm, but we need to plan for what we want to do, so staff knows what we’re working on. I was on the village board for two years and not part of one planning meeting.”

Konen grew up in Connecticut, went to college in North Carolina and met her husband in Massachusetts.

“My husband is from the west side of Aurora and that is why we are here,” Konen said.

They have been Sugar Grove residents for 18 years.

Konen and her husband, Eric, have three children.

Konen went to school for business administration and professional golf management, right down to the agronomy of turf grass. She learned to manage a pro shop, and she taught golf.

“I was the golf coach at Marmion Academy,” Konen said. “I was the only female athletic coach that they had.”

She played on mini tours out of college. The highlight of her competitive golfing career was being in the 1999 U.S. Women’s Open.

With small children in tow, she came full circle, taking care of them at home and then becoming a real estate agent – a flexible career that allowed her to be a Girl Scout leader and participate in the PTO.

Konen was elected a village trustee two years ago.

She said her “tipping point” to seek the village president position was the Crown Community Development project.

In short, the company wanted to build a warehouse center and the village wanted more.

So the company de-annexed itself from the village.

Konen said she hopes to continue the conversation.

“I know our staff is open and makes phone calls,” Konen said.

“I think during the election, some residents said I wanted to turn it [Sugar Grove] into Naperville,” Konen said, regarding her platform to seek more development and build the village’s tax base.

She wants to build the tax base – yes – but not at the expense of Sugar Grove’s charm.

“People moved here for tranquility and not the hustle and bustle of retail and trucks,” Konen said. “I understand the balance.”

Konen said the village can balance development with what the village needs for it tax base along with the desires of Sugar Grove residents.

“It’s much easier to know what we want and work with landowners and developers,” Konen said. “That is exactly what we want coming into meetings.”

As to Sean Michels, whom she unseated after he served 20 years as village president, Konen said she didn’t want people to think she was unappreciative of his public service.

But residents want more and they want to keep the village moving forward, she said.

That’s why she’s instituting planning meetings in between village business meetings.

“I forewarned the board,” Konen said.