Correction: This story originally said Mayor Michelle Nelson and her husband, Cameron, have three children. They have four. The Chronicle apologizes for the error.
Two newly elected trustees of the Flossmoor village board were sworn in during the board’s May 5 meeting along with Mayor Michelle Nelson and trustee Gary Daggett, who were reelected to second terms.
The fresh faces on the board are Carolyn Rodgers and Kevin Dorsey, who are new to the board but not giving their service to their community.
Each will serve four-year terms.
Nelson was joined by her husband, one of her four children, and her mother and father who read her the oath of Mayor.
“Four years ago, when I ran, I talked about what an honor it was to be mayor in a village of doers,” Nelson said. “It takes many different hands in order to have a village that is as beautiful, welcoming and connected as the village of Flossmoor.”
Nelson took the time to recognize the many people who keep the village going that were in attendance including other government officials, village commission members, school board members, local business owners religious leaders and her family. Joining her on the dais were her parents, Michael and Karen Svetlic; her husband, Cameron Nelson; and her youngest daughter, Kammie Nelson.
Her father, a judge, administered the oath of office, as he did four years ago when Nelson was first elected.
“Thank you for the honor of serving for the next four years,” Nelson said. “I am super excited about what we’re going to accomplish together.”
Nelson said she plans to continue to promote the village and improve services for the village and residents.
Daggett was joined by his wife Shekika Daggett and three children Joshua, Leo, and Hannah Daggett, who took turns reading him sections of the oath for trustees.
He got emotional addressing the people in attendance when speaking during his time working with village and Flossmoor residents.
Daggett spoke about his family’s support and everything the village has given him since moving to Flossmoor 15 years ago.
“Those who supported me and voted for me, thank you. I don’t take that lightly,” Daggett said. “Those of you who did not vote for me, thank you. You voted; I don’t take that lightly.”
Whether residents supported him or not, Daggett said he is still here to serve every resident of Flossmoor and encourages residents to speak to him about village concerns and how he operates as trustee.
Dorsey was joined by his children, Bryce and Shelby Dorsey; his sister, Cynthia Dees, his fiancée, Melanie Gamble, and longtime friend Gerald Pauling, who read him the oath.
Before running for trustee, he served as the Flossmoor Community Relations Commission and is retired from the United States Navy.
He took the time to recognize his family and thanked the community for helping him raise his children as a single father.
“You raised them alongside me,” Dorsey said. “I don’t think we would have had the success of me being a single parent without a village like Flossmoor.”
Dorsey echoed what Daggett had to say about serving everyone regardless for whom they voted and promised to not be a stranger.
Some of Dorsey’s top goals coming into his term include transparency and accountability within village leadership, training, and staffing for first responders, and business and growth retention.
Rodgers thanked a number of family members and friends who were in the room, but she was joined on the dais by her brother Caper Estes III, who read the oath, and Noah Rodgers, Jeremiah Rodgers, Aiden Rodgers, her mother Carolyn M. Estes, her sister Christy Brown and niece Christy Brown.
She thanked the people of the village, the current trustees, and the outgoing trustees, learning much more about them and the people who represent Flossmoor during her campaign.
“I would have been happy either way whether I won or not because I got a chance to really know them and we have some really sincere folks here that want to represent you, represent us,” Rodgers said.
Some of Rodgers’ top goals consist of guaranteeing better communication channels for more community voices to be heard along with aligning with community needs and concerns.