One newly elected and three reelected members of the Naperville Park District Board of Commissioners took their oath of office at a meeting on Thursday, May 8, with one making history as they did so.
Incumbents Leslie Ruffing, Rhonda Ansier, and Alison Thompson joined newcomer Aishwarya Balakrishna to be sworn in by Judge Colette Safford of the 12th Judicial Circuit Court of Will County. All will be serving four-year terms as park commissioners.
History on two counts: youngest elected, and first Indian American on park board
Balakrishna holds the distinction of being the first Indian American as well as the youngest person to be elected to the Naperville Park Board.
The 2013 Neuqua Valley High School graduate called both distinctions “an honor,” and gave credit to both her grandmother, for encouraging her to be a leader, and to her parents, both immigrants, for their hard work and sacrifices.
She told her fellow commissioners she looked forward to working with them, noting they had “a lot of important work ahead of us, including the next steps of our indoor recreation space needs project and the next iteration of strategic planning for the park district.”
Balakrishna closed her remarks by thanking residents for putting their faith in her.
“We must make sure that every resident has a place in our parks and feels included in our public spaces. Our parks and our programs bring us together, and that is what makes our city great, and I promise that I will always put you, our residents first, and use my voice for the betterment of the community,” Balakrishna said.
Three incumbents enthusiastic about next four years of service
Incumbents Ruffing, Ansier, and Thompson all expressed their enthusiasm at digging in for another four years of service on the board.
Ansier said she was honored to be reelected, saying she’d learned a lot during her first term and was “excited to get going in this next term to really continue the great work we’ve been doing already.”
“We have the best park district in the state – sorry, I’m biased, it’s true,” Ansier said, adding, “I really am happy to be able to stay on with everyone.”
Ruffing noted that she was “thrilled” to take on another term and continue to work with the park district’s “wonderful staff.”
“I take very seriously the role of being one voice for, for our community, and I’m just honored that I get to continue,” Ruffing said.
Thompson closed out the remarks from the four, remarking that she was “ecstatic” to have Balakrishna on board.
She also gave a shout-out to the park district’s staff, “whose dedication, passion, and creative thinking make our park district great.”
Thompson chose to end her remarks with a quote from fictional character Leslie Knope of “Parks and Recreation” fame.
“We get the chance to work hard at work worth doing alongside a team of people who we love. Let’s get to work.”
Photo courtesy: Naperville Park District, (l to r – Commissioners Balakrishna and Ruffing, Judge Colette Safford, Commissioners Thompson and Ansier)
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