Commission Appointments

Two named to DuPage Water Commission

Sun staff January 6, 2011 12:46PM

The reconfiguring of the DuPage Water Commission is nearing an end.

DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin has announced his final two recommendations for the board: David C. Russo of Winfield and Christopher Janc of Elmhurst.

Russo is co-owner of the development company Creekside Partners. Janc works as a vice president and banker with J.P. Morgan Wealth Management.

The DuPage County Board still needs to approve the choices, and may vote on the pair next week.

Last year, as a state senator, Cronin drafted the legislation that required the resignation of every commissioner on Jan. 1. The move came after the commission faced criticism for the undetected draining of its $69 million cash reserve fund in 2009.

Cronin’s four other appointments to the board include Laura Crawford, president and CEO of the Downers Grove Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Brad Webb, part of the Packey Webb Ford family business and a candidate in last February’s Republican primary for the District 4 nomination to the County Board won by incumbent JR McBride; Daniel Loftus, an engineer who has been active in the District 99 Plus Education Foundation; and Michael Scheck, a construction specialist and sales director at Scheck Industries.

“Frankly, the No. 1 criteria was their ability,” said Cronin, “So whether or not they had experience in engineering, business, finance, accounting, that was the No. 1 consideration.”

Cronin said he did make an effort to get Democrats involved on the board, and said he even spoke with Liz Chaplin, who stepped down from the commission this summer, possibly for the chairmanship.

Chaplin said she received only a letter asking about her interest in serving on the commission.

“To me, maybe it might have been a miscommunication, because I probably would have seriously considered the chairmanship,” said Chaplin. “But I wouldn’t have gone back to just being a commissioner, because I really wouldn’t have any authority.”

Instead, Jim Zay, who has served on the Water Commission since July 2008, will be the new chairman.

“He is a County Board member, which allows me to have a very good connection because I will see him regularly,” said Cronin. “It will allow me to keep closer tabs on what’s going on there, to be more engaged and more influential.”

Cronin said his appointment of six new commissioners out of his seven possible appointments “fulfills the intent and spirit of the law.”

Municipal appointments to the Water Commission, however, have not seen as much turnover as those from the county.

Woodridge Mayor William Murphy, who has served on the commission since January 2004, and Carol Stream Mayor Frank Saverino, who has served on the commission since July 2007, were both reappointed.

So were Naperville Councilman Richard Furstenau and Wheaton Councilman Phillip Suess, Both Suess and Furstenau were first appointed in 2010.

New municipal appointments include Itasca Mayor Jeff Pruyn and Villa Park Village President Thomas Cullerton.

The first meeting of the new Water Commission board will be Jan. 13.

Created in 1992, the commission purchases Lake Michigan water from Chicago and both sells and transfers the water to 24 DuPage County municipalities and unincorporated areas of the county.