Donna Johnson (mayor)
{{Short description|American politician who served as mayor of Libertyville, Illinois}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Donna Johnson
| image = Donna Johnson - Mayor of Libertyville, Illinois.jpg
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| nationality = American
| party = Independent
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| office = Mayor of Libertyville, Illinois
| predecessor = Terry Weppler
| successor =
| term_start = May 4, 2021
| term_end =
| office2 = Libertyville Board of Trustees
| term_start2 = 2007
| term_end2 = 2021
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| residence = Libertyville, Illinois
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Donna Johnson is an American politician. In 2021, she became the first Black woman elected mayor of Libertyville, Illinois.{{cite news |title=Libertyville Elects First Black Woman As Mayor In Village History |url=https://chicago.cbslocal.com/video/5613701-libertyville-elects-first-black-woman-as-mayor-in-village-history/ |access-date=21 March 2022 |work=CBS Chicago |date=May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220223210452/https://chicago.cbslocal.com/video/5613701-libertyville-elects-first-black-woman-as-mayor-in-village-history/ |archive-date=February 23, 2022}}
Early life and education
Johnson is the daughter of Carol and Donald Tyler Johnson.{{Cite news|first=Suzanne |last= Le Mignot |authorlink= |title= An Interview With Donna Johnson, Libertyville’s First Black Woman Mayor |newspaper=CBS Chicago|date=May 23, 2021 |url=https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2021/05/23/libertyville-first-black-mayor-donna-johnson/ |accessdate=}} Her mother was the Chair of the Civil Service Commission and Human Relations Commission in Evanston, Illinois; her father graduated from the University of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering but according to Johnson, was unable to find work as a chemical engineer due to segregation. Her father worked for the Chicago Fire Department, eventually becoming a battalion chief.
Johnson moved with her family from Evanston to Libertyville in 1979. She completed a BA in political science from Michigan State University{{cite news |title=Donna Johnson: Candidate Profile |url=https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110201/submitted/302019370/ |access-date=21 March 2022 |work=Daily Herald |date=February 23, 2011}} and a JD degree.{{cite news |title=Donna Johnson: Candidate Profile |url=https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150301/submitted/303019535/ |access-date=21 March 2022 |work=Daily Herald |date=March 10, 2015}}
Career
Johnson worked as prosecutor in Cook County and Lake County before taking a position at Allstate as a corporate attorney.{{cite news |last1=Kambic |first1=Rick |title=What you need to know to decide the 4-way race for 3 Libertyville trustee seats |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/libertyville/ct-lbr-trustee-election-candidates-tl-0321-story.html |access-date=21 March 2022 |work=Libertyville Review |agency=Pioneer Press |via=Chicago Tribune |date=March 20, 2019}} She served for nine years on the Libertyville Plan Commission board of appeals before running for office, and worked to develop the business presence in downtown Libertyville.{{cite news |last1=Zawislak |first1=Mick |title=Johnson takes the helm in a year of change on the Libertyville village board |url=https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20210507/johnson-takes-the-helm-in-a-year-of-change-on-the-libertyville-village-board |access-date=21 March 2022 |work=Daily Herald |date=May 7, 2021}} In 2007, she was elected to the Libertyville Board of Trustees. Her work as a trustee included serving as the chair of the Streets Committee.{{cite news |title=Libertyville candidates pull petitions for upcoming board races |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/libertyville/ct-lbr-libertyville-board-candidates-bios-2021-tl-1029-20201022-bqn6jim3urdqnmav5rosdzm524-story.html |access-date=21 March 2022 |work=Libertyville Review |agency=Pioneer Press |via=Chicago Tribune |date=October 22, 2020}} In 2018, while serving as a member of the Board of Trustees, she advocated for a pay increase for elected officials to help increase the number of qualified candidates for office.{{cite news |last1=Kambic |first1=Rick |title=Wanting more than 'old white men' in office, Libertyville plans to increase mayor and trustee pay |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/libertyville/ct-lbr-mayor-trustee-salary-increase-tl-1018-story.html |access-date=21 March 2022 |work=Libertyville Review |agency=Pioneer Press |via=Chicago Tribune |date=October 11, 2018}} As of 2020, Johnson was also serving as Chair of the Advocate Condell Medical Center Governing Board.
After serving 14 years as a trustee, she was recruited by the current mayor Terry Weppler and others to run for mayor. She ran unopposed and was elected mayor following the election on April 6, 2021.{{Cite news|first=James T. |last= Norman |title= Libertyville to welcome new mayor, 3 new trustees on Village Board following election |newspaper=The Chicago Tribune|date= April 20, 2021|url= https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/libertyville/ct-lbr-libertyville-election-results-tl-0415-20210420-ppfzeya4xzhjpggjnukpzbantu-story.html |accessdate=}} She was sworn in on May 4, 2021.{{Cite web|first= Pavan|last= Acharya|title= Meet Libertyville’s New Mayor, Donna Johnson |website=Drops of Ink|date=May 25, 2021 |url=https://www.lhsdoi.com/22181/uncategorized/meet-libertyvilles-new-mayor-donna-johnson/ |accessdate=}} She is the first Black mayor in the city's 185-year history. Libertyville has a Black population of 1.3%, according to the United States Census Bureau, and she is the second woman and first person of color to serve as mayor.{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=B03002&g=1600000US1743250&y=2019|title=B03002 HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE - Libertyville - 2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates|date=July 1, 2019 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=January 14, 2022}}
After taking office, Johnson announced her priorities as including a balanced budget, the development of the downtown business district, and the promotion of small businesses.{{Cite news|first=James T. |last= Norman|title= 2021 in Review: Libertyville elects new mayor and Village Board, sees students return to in-person learning full-time, adopts fee to deal with flooding preparedness |newspaper=The Chicago Tribune|date=December 28, 2021 |url= https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/libertyville/ct-lbr-year-in-review-2021-tl-1230-20211228-4usthhdq4zbbvleaxyfepf4d5u-story.html |accessdate=}} During her tenure, a local cannabis sales tax was enacted for Libertyville,{{cite news |last1=Norman |first1=James T. |title=Libertyville trustees approve cannabis sales tax in effort ‘to be good financial stewards’ |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/libertyville/ct-lbr-cannabis-sales-tax-tl-0826-20210820-22itkl2atzfspp2n7y43ymuamy-story.html |access-date=21 March 2022 |work=Libertyville Review |agency=Pioneer Press |via=Chicago Tribune |date=August 20, 2021}} and $170,000 was awarded to local businesses through the Libertyville High Five Grant program.{{cite news |last1=Norman |first1=James T. |title=Libertyville wraps up business grant program after awarding $170,000 to businesses in town; ‘Overall it was a tremendous success’ |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/libertyville/ct-lbr-grant-program-complete-tl-0210-20220204-5lcf5ctl5rgypjl6gd76x6pchy-story.html |access-date=21 March 2022 |work=Libertyville Review |agency=Pioneer Press |via=Chicago Tribune |date=February 4, 2022}} In March 2022, she announced the sale of the Libertyville indoor sports complex to the Canadian firm Canlan Sports for $3.13 million; the village had been trying to sell the complex for years due to high debt payments.{{Cite news|first= Mick |last= Zawislak|authorlink= |title= 'It's a big win for us': Sale of Libertyville's indoor sports complex to Canadian firm now final |newspaper=Daily Herald|date=March 1, 2023 |url=https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20230301/its-a-big-win-for-us-sale-of-libertyvilles-indoor-sports-complex-to-canadian-firm-now-final |via=}}
Personal life
Johnson is a member of the Proclaimer Ministry of St. Joseph's Catholic Church. She has two children.
See also
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Donna}}
Category:African-American mayors in Illinois
Category:Women mayors of places in Illinois
Category:Politicians from Evanston, Illinois
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:21st-century African-American politicians
Category:African-American women mayors