Mayor-Elect of Park Forest wants to revitalize businesses in the Village
Joe Woods – Joseph Woods was recently elected Village of Park Forest President. Photo provided by Village of Park Forest.
By Tia Carol Jones
Joseph Woods was always interested in politics, he gravitated toward the public service aspect of it. It started off with him running for the Library Board. It was during the time he was looking for ways to give back, as well as use his expertise as a writer and Poet Laureate. While he was doing writing workshops to teach children the importance of writing, he decided to run for Library Trustee. Then, he ran for Village Trustee.
Woods ran for Mayor of Park Forest because of the urgency. The Village had a lot of challenges and as Trustee, he felt he was in position with the experience to run for Mayor. He believed he could meet those challenges as Mayor. Residents were excited about Woods’ campaign for Mayor. There were residents who asked if he would run for the office.
“I’m one of those people, I seek, and I ask questions from people who served in positions before me,” he said, adding that it helps him serve better. There were also residents who were curious about Woods’ campaign for Mayor. People wanted to know his vision for Park Forest. As a writer, Woods fell in love with the stories of people who lived in Park Forest, then he fell in love with the people, then he fell in love with the politics and policies that went into serving those people.
Wood’s vision for Park Forest includes preserving the great things about Park Forest while moving the Village forward to the future. The demographic of the Village has changed. He wants to re-introduce Park Forest to Park Foresters. There are new things going on in the Village that some might not be aware of because of the pandemic.
Woods wants to see programs for young people that address their needs and desires. His mission with the young people is to make them feel like a part of the community and they can become positive role models within the community.
There is a push for a community center for the young people in Park Forest where they can have activities. One idea is to engage businesses that are interested in letting students have internships, apprenticeships and summer jobs.
Woods wants to focus on business revitalization, with revitalization of Park Forest’s downtown area, with businesses that meet the needs of today. He also wants to engage with the community when it comes to what kinds of businesses they want in the community.
When it comes to Public Safety, Woods is being proactive and said communities can no longer operate in silos. He is looking for preventative rather than reactive responses to the issues. “Our police department has really, thus far, done a pretty good job identifying where hot spots may be, so there can be a public safety presence, so it can act as a preventative measure,” he said.
“To be in the position that I am right now, I am humbled, I am honored and I am extremely hopeful for the future. I’m excited about being part of a Board that will work together for the best interest of Park Forest,” he said.
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