Candidate Interviews: Wilmette Village Board (4 for 3 seats) (Audio)

The Wilmette Village Board of Trustees will soon have at least two new trustees, as just one incumbent is in the running for three available seats.

Justin Sheperd, a finance professional, is seeking his second term on the board, while Mark Steen, Ryrie Pellaton and Michael Lieber are joining him on the ballot and are in search of their first full term.

Steen, a sustainability executive for a science and technology company, recently served two terms on the Wilmette District 39 School Board. Pellaton, a construction professional, is a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals and former member of the Wilmette Park Board. Lieber, an attorney, has served with the New Trier School Board Caucus and District 39 Educational Foundation, among other groups. Click to view profiles of the candidates.

Each candidate was interviewed by The Record Editor in Chief Joe Coughlin and their responses were recorded and are available below. Questions are listed in the order they were asked, and the candidates are listed in the order they will appear on the ballot. You can use the navigation tools below to skip to specific questions. You can listen to the audio recordings grouped by candidate at these links: Justin Sheperd | Michael Lieber | Ryrie Pellaton | Mark Steen.

JUMP TO: Opening Statements | New police station | Downtown Wilmette development and density | Village character | Sustainability efforts | Closing Statement

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Opening Statement

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The new police station is Wilmette’s largest facility project. How does a new police station benefit Wilmette and its residents?

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With another mid-rise, multi-use building coming to Green Bay Road, describe how downtown Wilmette stands in terms of downtown density: too much, not enough, just right.

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With changes to Green Bay Road, Plaza del Lago, Edens Plaza, etc., some contend Wilmette is losing its character. Do you think that’s true? Why or why not?

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Grade the Village of Wilmette’s efforts toward sustainability? And what’s next? 

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Closing statement

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