Elected Officials
Here is an introduction to your Elected Officials.
Mayor - David L. Owen
David has served as mayor of the Village of South Chicago Heights since 1989. Before his election to his first mayoral term, Owen served for 14 years as a trustee, with responsibilities that included overseeing several Village departments. Mayor Owen’s administration has been instrumental in accomplishing numerous community improvements, including obtaining Lake Michigan water, erecting a Veterans memorial and community pavilion at the Senior Citizens Center, stimulating economic development in the Village’s commercial corridor and industrial park, and increasing services to residents, such as the popular free Courtesy Car transportation program.
Mayor Owen has been active in governmental-related organizations. He served as the president of the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association. He is a vice president of the Illinois Municipal League in Springfield, Chairman of the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association Transportation Committee, and a member of Southland Chamber of Commerce. He has been a member of the Executive Council of Mayors of the Chicago Area Transportation Study and has served on several committees of that organization. Recently, Mayor Owen was elected Vice Chairman of the Southeast Metra Rail Board. In 1991, he was named a member of Who’s Who in Local Government. He also was voted “Best Mayor” for two consecutive years by readers of the Daily Southtown and The Star newspapers. He has been active in community affairs, including the Governors State University YMCA Board of Management, the Bloom Township Youth Committee Advisory Board, the Steger School District 194 PTA and the South Chicago Heights Kiwanis Club, which he served as president.
Mayor Owen was employed for 31 years with National Chemsearch of Dallas Texas. After retiring from National Chemsearch in 2000, he served as Village manager of a Chicago area municipality from 2001 to 2005. He and his wife June have four children, and three grandchildren.
To contact the Mayor, you can email him at mayorowen@southchicagoheights.com.
Trustee - Patrick J. DeFiore
Patrick was appointed a Village trustee in 1998. He was elected to four-year terms in 1999, 2003 again in 2007. He serves as the Village Board liaison to the Finance Department. Trustee DeFiore is a former member of the South Chicago Heights Zoning Board. He has participated in community activities, including serving as a Little League coach for five years and as a coach and referee for youth basketball. Trustee DeFiore has been a resident of South Chicago Heights for more than 50 years. He has been a sales representative for the Carl Buddig Company since 1984, with a current job responsibility for a three-state area. The trustee is a graduate of Bloom Township High School. He received an Associates Degree from Prairie State College in 1970. He attended Columbia College in Chicago, majoring in broadcasting and journalism. He and his wife Maureen have two children.
To contact Trustee DeFiore, you can email him at pdefiore@southchicagoheights.com.
Trustee - Eugene Fazzini
Eugene is a resident of South Chicago Heights for the last 52 years and is well known in the community as “Champ”. Eugene joined the Fire Department in 1972, where he earned his Emergency Medical Technician Certification. By 1975, he became Captain of the Fire Department. In 1974, Eugene became a full time employee for the Public Works Department. Than in 1976, he pursued a career with the South Chicago Height Police Department as a Dispatcher. He then completed the Police Academy in 1977 to become a full-time Village police officer. During his 31 years with the South Chicago Heights Police Department, Eugene was promoted to Sergeant in 1980, Lieutenant in 1993, and Deputy Chief in 2007 before retiring in May 1, 2008. Eugene was appointed a Trustee in May 2008 to fill a Village Board vacancy. Eugene brings a great love for the community.
To contact Trustee Fazzini, you can email him at efazzini@southchicagoheights.com.
Trustee - Araceli "Sally" Marrufo
Sally was appointed a Trustee in July 2004 to fill a VillageBoard vacancy and was elected again in 2007. She serves as the Village Board liaison to the South Chicago Heights Youth and Senior Recreational Department. From 1998 to 2003 she served as the executive assistant to the offices of the village president, village administrator and village treasurer. Her experience in governmental affairs also includes serving as secretary to the Village's Police and Fire Board and the Zoning Board. She also attended Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, where she pursued communications. Marrufo majored in accounting at Prairie State College, earning Phi Beta Kappa recognition. She has a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from Governors State University and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration Degree with additional coursework in human resources and accounting. Sally has resided in South Chicago Heights for 25 years. She is married and has one child.
To contact Trustee Marrufo, you can email her at amarrufo@southchicagoheights.com.
Trustee - Terry L. Matthews
Terry has served for 16 years as a Trustee, from 1989 to 1997 and elected again to another two terms in 2001-2009. He is the liaison to the Public-Works Department; previously he was the Village Board liaison to the Building Department. Matthews was chairman of the Village Zoning Board from 1987 to 1989. He served on the Chicago Heights School District 170 Board of Education in 1997-99. He has served 10 years as Bloom Township Democratic Committeeman. He is former chairman of the Elected Officials Subcommittee for the Illinois 80th Legislative District and former member of the 80th District Advisory Board for the Aging. He is a Cook County Highway Department permit inspector. He has been a Village baseball program manager, coach and umpire. He is a lifelong resident and is married (wife Carla). He has a son and a daughter and three grandchildren.
To contact Trustee Matthews, you can email him at tmatthews@southchicagoheights.com.
Trustee - John M. Ross
John has served as a Trustee for twelve years; he is liaison to the South Chicago Heights Police Department. He has resided in the community for 50 years. Ross was a member of the South Chicago Heights Zoning Board. He also served as the president of the Bloom Township Trustees of Schools, which is responsible for the management of more than $100 million in area school funds. Ross has been employed by Jewel Food Stores for 35 years. For the past 27 years he has been an Assistant Store Director in charge of total store operations at Jewel stores in communities in Illinois and Indiana. He has attended numerous seminars on the subjects of cash management, government law and regulations, community affairs, communications and operational development, leadership as well as administrative personnel issues. He is a Marian Catholic High School graduate and attended Prairie State College.
To contact Trustee Ross, you can email him at jross@southchicagoheights.com.
Trustee - Michael J. Tilton
Michael was appointed a Trustee in February 2004 to fill a Village Board vacancy. He is currently the liaison for the Building Department. Tilton, a Village resident for 40 years, served seven years on the Zoning Board and four years on the StegerSouth Chicago Heights Library Board, including two years as Board vice-president. Tilton is a deputy with the Cook County Sheriff's Office and a part-time police officer in Steger. He served as Vice-President of Steger Chapter 117 of the Metropolitan Alliance of Police. Mike is a member of the Southland Chamber of Commerce and the South Suburban Chiefs of Police. He is an active member of the Exceptional Childrens Charity Board of Directors and Knights of Columbus. He has earned a bachelor of science degree in law enforcement management from Calumet College and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Governors State University. He has been a volunteer Little League coach, basketball coach and T-ball manager. The trustee and his wife Sandra have two children.
To contact Trustee Tilton, you can email him at mtilton@southchicagoheights.com.