Lake Forest Caucus new leadership team set after membership vote
The leadership team for the Lake Forest Caucus is set for 2025-26 as members overwhelmingly approved the proposed executive officer slate last week.
With residents asked to cast one yes or no vote for the entire slate, the seven candidates endorsed by the 43-member Caucus Committee received 451 yes votes with 105 voting against at a March 18 meeting held at the Gorton Center.
With the general membership approval, Regina Etherton is set to become Caucus president starting in April. The other officers will be Mark Pickett as vice president, Armando Guzman as treasurer, Dale Tauke to be secretary, Peggy Siebert for fundraising with Viktor Brisku, and Tyler Lisenby serving in communication roles. The terms last for one year.
'I felt grateful for the slate who have worked very hard,' Etherton said afterward. 'I am appreciative to the community.'
Etherton will succeed Joe Oriti as president.
The massive affirmative vote this time stood in stark contrast to last year's election when the general membership narrowly rejected the executive officer slate. The Caucus then had to have a second election on a group of candidates that did receive approval.
Etherton, who has been a Caucus vice president this year, pointed to better organization and get-out-the-vote efforts on why the slate passed.
'We have been paying to ensuring that people get out to vote and they know about the election,' she said. 'Historically it wasn't well publicized and there were other factors like spring break occurring at the same time and there was some confusion.'
Last year's initial rejection of the officer slate was the latest in a string of defeats for the Caucus hierarchy. In existence since 1935, the Caucus recruits, vets and recommends Lake Forest residents to serve on elected boards as well as city boards and commissions.
The process rarely generates much controversy and the Caucus-backed candidates for elected office often run unopposed in the municipal elections. However, in 2022, the general membership did not approve the Caucus Committee endorsement of Stanford 'Randy' Tack for mayor. With the organization's bylaws unclear on how to move forward, the 43-member Caucus Committee moved ahead with the Tack endorsement leading to a rare contested general election that Tack easily won.
In November 2023, the Caucus leadership proposed the 'Caucus Protection Act' that would have removed the general membership vote from the approval process, but that was voted down as well.
After the approval of the officer slate on the second vote last year, the Caucus formed an ad hoc committee tasked with examining the organization's bylaws and set to make some changes.
The ad hoc committee's recommendations were originally set to be part of the spring meeting vote, but Caucus officials have delayed a vote on the amendment stating more examination of the respective suggestions are necessary.
The fate of the bylaw revisions appeared to entice voters to the Gorton Center.
'I voted yes because I am giving them a chance to make sure they change the bylaws,' said Anne Taylor. 'This will give them another session to do it and they need it.'
Another resident, Scott Wolff, said he voted against the slate.
'They haven't done what they said they were going to do by this time regarding the bylaws so everyone can be heard and they need to be updated for a modern society,' Wolff said.
After last week's vote, John Trkla, a founder of Lake Forest For Transparency, an 'educational advocacy group', released a statement regarding the results.
'Lake Forest residents are giving a vote of confidence to the Caucus about reforming its bylaws to make votes binding. But they are still on the knife's edge. This reform needs to be completed very soon if it wants to continue moving forward building trust with Lake Forest residents.'
Following last week's vote, the Caucus released a statement noting the Caucus Committee has been reviewing the recommendations and evaluating potential revisions to the bylaws. Moreover, the Caucus Committee is planning on meeting with the ad hoc committee members soon with the completion of the review is a priority for the organization. However, a legal review would be necessary before a public vote.
The new slate is scheduled to officially start their new roles at an April 8 meeting.
Despite the recent internal issues, Caucus-endorsed candidates for elected office are running unopposed in the April 1 general election.
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