Retiring Trustee Jim Johnson Helped Bring Development, Breezewald Park, Library to Village

A good number of right hands were raised at the village board meeting Monday night.  Incumbent Trustees Tom Poynton and Dana Rzeznik, along with new Trustee Mark Ernst and Village Clerk Kathleen Johnson took their oaths of office and officially filled their elected positions.  

Poynton is now in his second term as trustee; he was elected to his first term in 2007.

Rzeznik was appointed as trustee in 2009 to fill the seat left vacant by Village President Suzanne Branding when Branding was elected mayor; Rzeznik was elected for the first time on April 5. 

Ernst, who is a trustee of the Lake Zurich Police Pension Board, was elected a village trustee for the first time in the most recent election.

Village Clerk Kathleen Johnson was also sworn into office.  She  was appointed to fill the open clerk seat last fall, and ran unopposed in the April 5 election.  

And retiring Trustee Jim Johnson, no relation to Kathleen, was recognized for his many years of public service in Lake Zurich.  Those include serving as trustee for a total of 11 years; he was appointed to fulfill an unexpired term in 1981 and won re-election in 1983 and served until 1987.

He ran for trustee again in 2007 and decided to retire after playing a major role in the growth of Lake Zurich in his many years of public service.

“Jim played a major part in increasing the village’s population by promoting commercial development along Route 12, helping to bring technology to our schools and getting behind the purchase of Breezewald Park and Ela Area Public Library,” said Branding.

Johnson was officially thanked and formally congratulated by the mayor, the board and administration.

Johnson made a brief comment as he received a standing ovation from the everyone at the meeting.

“I just want to thank the voters who elected me, the village staff and my fellow trustees,” Johnson said.