Homewood Trustee Anne Colton resigned her position with a letter to village officials Monday, April 9.
In her letter to Mayor Richard Hofeld and fellow trustees, Colton said she’d signed a contract with PBS for distribution of “Jordanville,” a documentary she produced. The filmmaker also is starting a project she said could grow into a larger series.
“Between my business and these film opportunities and my family and the village board, something had to give,” Colton said. “Unfortunately, I won’t have the time to do the village board at the level that I want to do it. I take a lot of pride in the amount of time and energy and engagement that I’ve always had in my position as a village trustee. I feel like if I can’t be there 100 percent for the village of Homewood, I need to step aside and make room for somebody who can.”
She was first elected to the board in 2009 and was reelected in 2013 and 2017.
In the past, she was also treasurer on the Homewood Public Library Board, director with the Homewood Foundation For Educational Excellence, a member of the Homewood Senior Advisory Committee and the building chair of the Homewood PTA.
Colton said she had three main goals when she joined the board nine years ago. She wanted to increase transparency, improve the village’s relationships with other taxing bodies and to get a performance venue into downtown Homewood, which she said is in the early planning stages.
“The three ideas that I’ve had at the beginning, I’ve really kind of made them happen,” Colton said. “I think Homewood is on a great road right now, doing a lot of other great things. But I don’t feel like I’m leaving any business unfinished. I also feel like I’m leaving the village in excellent hands.”
Colton and her family won’t be leaving Homewood, and she wouldn’t rule out a return to public office at some point.
Colton’s short film “Jordanville” is the story of 1960s Michigan high school basketball star Rich Jordan. It originally was done as a favor for a client’s husband who was friends with Jordan. It was picked up by the Grand Rapids PBS station WGVU and aired on New Year’s Day.
The film did well, and Colton was asked if she wanted to see if PBS was interested in distributing it nationally. A few weeks ago, she learned it could begin airing on 350 PBS stations around the country in May.
“For a documentary filmmaker, that’s as good as it gets,” Colton said. “I cannot even get my head around it. I’m so excited.”
Colton called the developments “once-in-a-lifetime opportunities” that required her undivided attention. She wants to capitalize on the exposure “Jordanville” will bring.
“I’ve already noticed a difference in terms of talking to people about films that I want to make,” Colton said. “My phone calls are being answered a little bit more. People are taking me a little bit more seriously now because I’ve got that credibility that PBS brings.”
According to Illinois municipal code, Hofeld has 60 days to make an appointment to fill Colton’s seat on the board. The appointee will serve until the next consolidated election.
He said that he plans to make an appointment in short order, and the board will need to approve it.
“I was really surprised when she gave me her letter of resignation,” Hofeld said. “She was a very good board member and, like the rest of the board, understood our goals and was a big part of the group to make them happen.”
