At a special meeting Monday, Dec. 1, the Lake County Forest Preserves Board of Commissioners elected its new leaders, choosing to retain Ann Maine of Lincolnshire (District 21) for a third consecutive term as president. The Board also re-elected Linda Pedersen of Antioch (District 1) to serve as vice president. Both will serve two-year terms that end in December 2016.
According to a news release, Maine has set a goal to advance the Board’s progress in creating a regional network of trails that connects Lake County to neighboring counties and southeastern Wisconsin.
Lake County currently offers 182 miles of trails within the county’s 30,100 acres of forest preserves. Ongoing projects include the final section of the 31-mile Des Plaines River Trail, and extending the 27-mile Millennium Trail and Greenway through western and northern Lake County.
In the news release, Maine also said she aims to “guide implementation of the district’s 100-year Vision to preserve and sustain Lake County’s natural landscape and extend community outreach and nature education efforts well into the future.”
Since being elected in 2002, Maine has held the following positions on the Forest Preserve Board: President since 2010; chair, Land Preservation and Acquisition Committee (2002-2010); vice chair, Legislative Committee (current); member, Ethics Committee (current); Finance and Administrative Committee (2002-2006, 2008-2010); Executive Advisory Committee (2006-2010): Board of Directors and voting member; Preservation Foundation of the Lake County Forest Preserves (current); and liaison, Friends of Ryerson Woods Board (current). She has been a member of the biology department at Lake Forest College since 1994 where she is a senior lecturer. She holds an undergraduate degree in biology from Williams College, Mass., and received a master’s degree and a doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Rochester, N.Y. Before joining the Forest Preserve Board, she also served as a village trustee in Lincolnshire.
Pedersen was elected as a Forest Preserve commissioner in 2008 and has held the following leadership positions: Vice president since 2010; member and chair, Finance Committee; chair, Ethics Committee; chair, Rules Committee; member, Land Preservation and Acquisition and voting member; Preservation Foundation of the Lake County Forest Preserves.
The leadership team oversees more than 30,100 acres of natural lands, 182 miles of trails, 184 full-time, and 315 part-time and temporary employees, and a fiscal year 2014-2015 budget of $78.8 million.