George Bailey and his family have lived in Oak Park for over thirty years. George is a retired Associate Professor of English, Emeritus, in the English Department of Columbia College Chicago where he taught, English Composition, American Literature and Basic Public Speaking. He was supported by his department to develop and teach such courses as: Oral Traditions and Writing in America, Blues as Literature, Postmodern Blackness He received his B.A. in Creative Writing from Columbia College Chicago, his M A in English from De Paul University, and his Ph. D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
He has been active in the Oak Park community by serving as VP of the Longfellow PTO, serving on the PTO Council, participating in a Human Relations activity at OPRF. He has served on the Oak Park Citizen’s Council, APPLE, PING, and TEAM. He has served as a tutor/mentor at Julian Middle School and taught art classes in a Special Education classroom.
Served on the Oak Park Township Youth Service Committee, The Oak Park Area Arts Council, and The Oak Park Commission on Aging in Place. In addition, he is a founding member of AMENS Group, an organization whose mission is to support a culture of teaching and learning within the Oak Park Community
He has played in jazz bands, promoted partnerships between school cultures. He delights in staging reenactment in the life of a 9th United States Cavalry corporal to explore the Reconstruction Period in the American westward expansionist movement.
His short fiction and articles on a variety of topics have appeared in New Chicago Stories, Chicago Works: A New Collection of Chicago Authors’ Best Stories, West Side Stories (Ed.), Chicago Sun Times, Fra Noi, New City, The Chicago Journal. His choreopoem, For the Thirteen, was adapted by Zebra Crossing and performed at the Theater Building in Chicago. He has published a collection of short stories entitled, Haunted Exiles Back Up on the End. He is currently “shopping” a completed novel and is authoring a new novel about the lives of Black boys living in slave coffles during the final days of the Atlantic Slave Trade.
My activist priorities are keeping male youth out of jail, and helping them build successful lives through education, the arts and sciences. Reparations.
Jeffrey Hines is a community-oriented business owner with a long track record of solving problems. I am skilled at assessing and describing risk while guiding customers to develop lasting and personal plans. I am actively engaged with the community and is an active board member of several Community-based organizations: Oak Park-River Forest Chamber of Commerce, Board Member - Austin Chamber, Family Focus Board of Directors, National Strategic Chair - Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Graduate of 2023 the Community Foundation's Leadership Lab Cohort. My family and I now call Oak Park home. I am also an active fundraiser and advocate for educational and children's causes. We are proud owners of Golden Doodle, avid golfers and bikers. We are looking forward to getting to know our neighbors. See you on the trail or at the turn.
Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, LaTonya Mace is the third child in a family of five. She has three sons of her own and is deeply committed to community service and uplifting others.
LaTonya earned her certification as a nursing technician from Harold Washington College. In addition, she holds a certification in event planning and decor.
Active in ministry with New Grace Kingdom and Outdare Community Outreach, Laonya is dedicated to helping people achieve their aspirations. She believes in the transformative power of building stronger communities by working neighbor to neighbor, block by block, to create the supportive, inclusive neighborhoods we all want to see.
Willie Mack, Ph.D., Oak Park resident since 2008, is a mediator, budget analyst, and public safety consultant. A life member of several military veteran organizations, he writes and speaks on issues related to veterans, the youth, and families. He wants the Juneteenth community celebration to counterbalance much of the impact of racism and violence.
Milon Stoval is a dedicated resident and active community member of Oak Park. As a mother of two, she balances her family life with her commitment to making a positive impact in her community. Milon has generously volunteered her time and talents as PTO Co-President of Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School, as well as with several other organizations and committees. Contributing to various initiatives aimed at improving the lives of our youth led Milon to join the Juneteenth Planning Committee, where she encourages residents to celebrate African American freedom and achievements, to learn from the past, and to renew our collective resolve to create a future where every individual is valued and treated equitably and with dignity.”
Chris Thomas has been a resident of Oak Park for 35 years, and graduated from Fenwick high school as well as Northeastern Illinois University with a degree in Adolescent Psychology. He runs a nonprofit focused on youth empowerment called YourPassion1st, and is a Partner at a consulting firm Exponential Consulting, where the focus is communication & engagement strategies to improve the efficiency of people, teams, and communities. While he is black, Chris grew up in an interracial household, which was a big reason his family moved to Oak Park in 1989; the diversity. As diverse as Oak Park is, there's still much work to do around making the community truly equitable, and events like our Juneteenth celebration are a reminder of the work to be done all year long. Chris joined the planning committee humbled and honored for the opportunity to create a safe space, where our black people can feel celebrated & valued while allowing the opportunity to be a catapult for the impact around equity and collaboration that can be had all year long.
Christina Waters has 25 years of local municipality experience, and her dedication to serving her community dates to when she was a teenager. While working at the Park District of Oak Park, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Robert Morris University, and worked her way up to Facility Scheduling and Parks Coordinator, working with individuals and local organizations, including the Cook County Clerk’s Office during elections. She also oversaw the team of facility attendants who worked throughout the community at the seven community centers, three outdoor sport courts and the seasonal Rehm Park Trains. In June 2019, she graduated from the Community Works Leadership Lab through the Oak Park River Forest Community Foundation. Born and raised in Oak Park, she attended Longfellow Elementary, Percy Julian Junior High, and Oak Park and River Forest High School. Christina leads with a people-focused model, centering community collaboration to provide high quality service and resources to everyone.
