Dan Davis, Art Rappare, Kelly Skinner, Jim Wagner and Alexis West-Henkelman are the 2023 candidates for the Village of St. Joseph Board. Election day is April 4, but early voting sites across Champaign County are already open. Davis, Rappare, Wagner and West-Henkelman did not submit answers to the questions all candidates received. There are three open seats and five candidates.
Kelly Skinner
Tell us about yourself:
My name is Kelly Miller Skinner. I have lived in St. Joe for 15 years with my husband, Shawn Skinner. I have a background in non-profit association management, marketing and communications, and running a business. I work part-time as the Operations Manager for Homegrown Farm to Table Restaurant and as the Manager of Religious Exploration & Engagement at the UU Church in Urbana. I have five kids who have all gone through the Saint Joseph school system.
Why did you decide to run for the Village of St. Joseph Board?
I’ve been an engaged leader of SJOnward, which was formed in 2017 by community members across the political spectrum interested in discussion and action on local, state, and national issues and promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity in the Saint Joseph-Ogden community. One of the things that group members talked about was having more diverse representation in our local elected officials and that’s when I started thinking about running for office.
When learning about running for office, I found out that there hasn’t been a Democratic nominee on the ballot for Village Board in more than 15 years. This meant that there are important voices from our community, especially those who have moved into St. Joseph as opposed to growing up there, that are underrepresented on Village Board. So I took the initiative to learn how to host a caucus and coordinated getting on the ballot.
I am running for Village Board because I want to bring a different perspective to conversations important to our St. Joseph community. This means seeking input from a variety of people in the community, and not just those who speak the loudest. Whether it be how to encourage business growth and development, spending wisely and responsibly, or being a welcoming town, I want to share information and get feedback more broadly so that we can represent everyone from our great town.
What are the top 3 issues you see facing the district in the next four years, what are your solutions to those issues and how do you plan to bring those solutions before the board?
- Developing a strategic growth plan in cooperation with community stakeholders
- Pursuing supplemental grant funding for community and business improvement projects
- Making wise spending decisions taking into account current and future needs
What do you believe is the role of a board member?
Democracy, especially at the local level, is all about the balance of different perspectives. The more diverse perspectives are included, the more balanced and representative our village governance can be. As a board member, it is important to read and understand the different issues that come up, ask good questions, and provide input/feedback to ensure that different points of view are represented in decision-making. I also hope that being active and engaged as a board member will inspire others to participate now and in the future.
