MATTESON MAYOR TO BECOME THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN TO HEAD THE ILLINOIS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE

Matteson Mayor Sheila Chalmers-Currin. Photo provided by STH Media.
Matteson Mayor Sheila Chalmers-Currin. Photo provided by STH Media.

MATTESON MAYOR TO BECOME THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN TO HEAD THE ILLINOIS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE

 

ILLINOIS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE EXCITED TO EMBRACE CHALMERS-CURRIN’S WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE AND SUCCESS IN MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT

 

ELECTED LEADERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF ILLINOIS LAUDS 

MAYOR CHALMERS-CURRIN’S WELL DESERVED APPOINTMENT

 

Saturday, September 20th, 2025 @ 12:30 PM

Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois

 

 

(Chicago, IL) – The Illinois Municipal League is announcing the appointment of Matteson Mayor Sheila Chalmers-Currin as its next President of the popular statewide agency. With the appointment, Mayor Chalmers-Currin will become the agency’s first elected African American female President of the 112-year-old municipal organization. The passing of the gavel ceremony will take place on September 20th, 2025, at 12:30 PM at the beautiful Hyatt Regency Chicago Hotel on Wacker Drive.

IML membership unanimously elected Village President Sheila Chalmers-Currin, Village of Matteson, to serve a one-year term as President of the statewide association. Chalmers-Currin has served on the IML Board of Directors as a Vice President since 2021. She is the sixth woman in the organization’s history set to hold the position. Chalmers-Currin has served on the IML Board of Directors as a Vice President since 2021.

“Serving as President of the Illinois Municipal League is a profound honor and I thank my colleagues for their trust and partnership. By working together, we can advance policies that will strengthen our communities and our state. This moment is not only historic, but also deeply personal. I am honored to be the first Black woman to serve in this role in the League’s over 100-year history. And while this may be a first for IML, it is not a first for me.” says Chalmers-Currin.


Chalmers-Currin adds, “From my earliest days, I’ve known what it means to lead with heart and purpose. I was the first child born in my family, a position that shaped me to care for others, to lead by example, and to shoulder responsibility early on. That experience set the foundation for every first that would follow.”

Early in Mayor Chalmers-Currin’s career she was the first woman appointed to the Fire and Police Commission in Matteson, a role that taught her how to speak with authority and act with courage in male- dominated spaces. In 2017, she had the privilege of becoming the first woman elected Mayor of the Village of Matteson. In every one of these moments, she was reminded that breaking barriers is never just about the individual, it’s about opening doors for others.

Illinois State Representative Debbie Meyers-Martin adds, “This is such an exceptional and profound accomplishment for Mayor Chalmers-Currin. But it signals a victory for all women in that the corporate ceiling is now collapsing and professionally qualified women such as Mayor Chalmers-Currin can now airlift their talents to higher heights. I am extremely proud to call her my friend. “

“Sheila Chalmers-Currin continues to lead with such grace and has been flawless in her governing of Matteson. She has exhibited thorough and significant leadership for our entire region. One can just observe the countless accomplishments and progress in Matteson to truly realize that the mayor’s commitment to excellence is reflected in the many positive outcomes. This is not only a victory for Mayor Chalmers-Currin, but for the entire southland.” says Rich Township Supervisor and President of the Township Officials of Cook County (TOCC) Calvin Jordan.

Cook County Commissioner Dr. Kisha McCaskill concludes, “ As an African American female elected official in Cook County, I have often leaned upon Sheila Chalmers-Currin for guidance, mentorship, and sound advice. Her record of accomplishments is well noted and benchmarked by mayors throughout Cook County and beyond. As her legacy continues to be calculated, her most prominent accomplishment is that she has never wavered in her commitment to the upward mobility of the African American community at large.”

With a housing stock that is considered the most sought after from residents throughout Cook County, along with an affluent business sector and a fiscally sound budget, Matteson continues to be a premier destination point for the residents of southern Cook County. All due to the outstanding planning and directives in which Mayor Sheila Chalmers-Currin has guided.

Mayor Chalmers-Currin now seeks to expand these attributes to the Illinois Municipal League with excitement and a vigor that will enhance the significance of the organization and its dedication to delivering much needed support to municipalities throughout the state of Illinois.


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