
“I pledge to bring leadership that fosters trust, transparency, and collaboration to create a stronger, more connected community. We will bring about real change by providing every resident the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas for our Village. By listening, we can address challenges with integrity and make collaborative decisions that strategically lead Northfield into the future.”
The Northfield Caucus proudly endorses Tracey Mendrek for President,
Edwin Elfmann, Matthew Galin, and Andrew Juedes for the Village Board.
The Caucus Slate will lead with Integrity, Vision, and Dedication to Engagement.
The Northfield Village Caucus is a non-partisan political organization composed of members residing within the Village boundaries, whose purpose is to represent the community's interests in matters of Village government. The Caucus is responsible for developing a Northfield Caucus Platform that reflects the residents’ views and opinions. Additionally, the Caucus is responsible for identifying, interviewing, and recommending qualified candidates for the Village of Northfield Board of Trustees and for the position of Village President.
Make Your Choice Count on April 1, 2025. Vote Northfield Forward!
About Tracey
Tracey has always been a public servant. From the very early days when she was on the Board of the Northfield Community Nursery School, the PTO or organizing the community to pass the Home Rule Referendum in 2010, while simultaneously adding her voice to the fight over widening Willow Road, helping her community has been a passion. She now realizes it was a proving ground for the skills required as President to lead this Village.
As the CFO of a highly regarded crisis communication and issues management firm, her responsibilities include year-over-year budget evaluations, ROI of new business strategies and day-to-day financial concerns. Her experience in business development for two major Chicago architecture and design build firms makes her uniquely qualified to evaluate commercial real estate opportunities for the Village of Northfield.
She grew up in central Illinois to parents who were outstanding golfers, instilling in her a passion for the sport. After graduating from Knox College, Tracey moved to Chicago and began her career in the golf business. At the Chicago District Golf Association and Western Golf Association, she learned about business and played at some of the most prestigious courses in the country. Those experiences inspired Tracey to found and run an event planning firm for nearly two decades. Among her clients were leaders of the Turnaround Management Industry where she learned the importance of strategy and critical long-term decision-making to ensure an organization’s success.
Tracey is so grateful for her 35 years of family memories in Northfield, especially times at Clarkson Park playing, enjoying concerts, walking her dogs in the summer and ice skating, and making snow angels in the winter. From the beginning as a young parent, she made friendships that stand the test of time to today. She is especially thankful that her granddaughters now call Clarkson “Mimi’s Park” as they carry on a new generation of traditions.
The Issues
-
For 35 years I have proudly served our community in numerous roles - from the PTO to the Village Caucus to the Plan and Zoning Commission to my recent role as Trustee. These volunteer roles have provided me with the understanding that open communication and collaboration is key to successful leadership.
Recently, I’ve seen our neighbors understandably frustrated because they feel like no one is listening to them about a range of quality-of-life issues. This motivated me to step up as a leader who can bring real change to our community. I will bring people together earlier with a leadership style rooted in communication, empathy, and collaboration to build consensus that reflects our community’s shared values.
As Village President, I pledge to:
Prioritize accessibility and open communication with residents, ensuring transparency in all village initiatives.
Add more substantive updates of potential projects through better communication on our Village website, newsletter, email blasts, and social media platforms.
Collaborate with the Village Manager to provide more real-time updates on construction, roadway issues, and general Village operations.
-
Northfield is a great community to live, work, and raise a family and that is a credit to our neighbors who have served in Village leadership roles and to our Village employees. We have been able to keep our taxes low and earn a AAA bond rating, while continuing to provide great services to the best residents on the North Shore–even in the face of a global pandemic and historic inflation.
Northfield is also fortunate to have a strong business community that produces sales tax revenue, but we cannot rest on our laurels. In today’s world, we need to respond to changes in our economy while being responsive to the desires of our residents.
Northfield neighbors have shared with me that they would like to see new developments in our central business district–especially as the post-pandemic economy has changed the nature of work and retail shopping.
As Village President, I pledge to:
Maintain the Village’s strong bond ratings and keep our tax rates low.
Continue to balance the budget and continue to meet or exceed our pension commitments.
Lead an effort to develop an actionable economic development plan that ensures Northfield’s continued economic growth.
-
Northfield is a safe and secure community. We have dedicated first responders and a village leadership that understands the importance of supporting them. Additionally, we must continue to maintain and strengthen our infrastructure by continuing to reevaluate the intersection of our Capital Improvement Plan and the skyrocketing cost of goods and services.
As Village President, I pledge to:
Work collaboratively with our board to support our public safety departments. One of my first initiatives will be to ensure our police department has adequate funding to support necessary staffing levels and technologies to keep our residents and businesses safe. Similarly, we will work with fire rescue to ensure we continue to serve our residents with exemplary response.
Build upon the Village’s infrastructure. The Board of Trustees must lead the way to ensure our continued planning for reliable water and sewer service, while also maintaining safe roads for Northfield families and all who visit our community.
Sign Up to Learn More
By providing your phone number and submitting this form, you are subscribing/consenting to receive SMS/MMS messages, including marketing, donation asks, and informational messages, to that number from Tracey for Northfield. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. Reply STOP to opt-out at any time, reply HELP for help. SMS opt-in will not be sold, rented, or shared with any third parties/affiliates unless required by law.
You can view our Privacy Policy and Mobile Terms and Conditions below.