PRESIDENT-ELECT OF LYNWOOD MAKES HISTORY

Jada D. Curry made history as the first Black woman elected as Mayor of the Village of Lynwood. Photo provided by Deborah O. Farmer
Jada D. Curry made history as the first Black woman elected as Mayor of the Village of Lynwood. Photo provided by Deborah O. Farmer

 President-elect of Lynwood makes history

BY TIA CAROL JONES
     Jada D. Curry made history on Tuesday, Feb. 23, when she was elected as President- elect of the Village of Lynwood. When Curry is sworn in, she will be the first African American woman to hold that office.
     Curry has been a resident of Lynwood for 16 years and works as a human resources consultant. Curry served as a Trustee in Lynwood prior to her campaign for mayor. She
said during her time as a trustee, she observed the way the village was being run and the financial state of the village. She decided that if she wanted a change, she would be the one to make it. So, she ran for mayor.
     Curry said her time sitting on the board, and being president of the Sunnybrook School District 171, helped her to develop thick skin. She said the one thing she learned was to not take things personally.
      “So, stepping into this new role, I know I can’t take things personally,” she said. “I have [to] remember, these residents have made a decision to rent homes or purchase homes in our village, so it’s precious to them and they only want what’s best for themselves and our village.”
     Curry said business owners that she have spoken to, as well as the residents, have talked about the need for more open lines of communication between them and the village. She said a lot of the residents don’t patronize the local businesses because they aren’t aware they exist, and there are no connections. She said the businesses want the residents to know they are in the village and want to make connections with them. That way, the businesses can show the residents they are invested in the community and the residents can support the businesses.
     “I want to make sure we bring our business owners into the conversation, along with our residents, so that we make sure, before we go outside our borders, let’s look inside,” she said.
     Curry said from day one, she intends to open the lines of communication, and for residents to have open access to the village hall. She said residents need to know how to reach
the village via email, phone, internet and social media. One thing she wants to do is to make the meetings accessible through virtual means, if residents aren’t comfortable attending
in-person meetings due to COVID-19.
     “We’re also going to engage in a strategic planning process, and that’s going to require our residents to participate so they can give input. Once we do that, they’ll feel more like this is about us,” she said.
     Curry said she really wants Lynwood to become self-sustaining. She is looking for grocery stores to come into the village, restaurants, ice cream parlors, as well as entertainment venues. She said Dollar General is set to come to the village because of a deal she worked on when she was a trustee. “That’s the whole goal, to make sure if you need something, you can get it in Lynwood. And, if you leave Lynwood, it’s because you want to, not because you have to,” she said.
     Curry said transparency is the only way to govern. She said, elected officials have to be open and honest with their residents, even when they fail. And, when they make a
mistake, acknowledge it and talk about how to correct it. Or, if the village has a win, to share it with residents.
     “I want our residents to feel like they have this clear glass, they can see through, they see everything, they can touch everything,” she said.
     Curry said she will work to make Lynwood stronger by making it more self-sustaining, making it feel more like a community. “I just want the Village of Lynwood to know we are in for one amazing journey. We’re going to go on this journey hand-in-hand and I look forward to being a beacon of light in the South Suburbs.

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