The fight for clean water is central to Patricia Theresa Flynn’s mission. She is currently serving her third term as Trustee for the Village of Crestwood, a southwest suburb of the City of Chicago. Flynn became the first woman elected to the Village Board during a drinking water scandal in Crestwood. Unbeknownst to residents, the Village was mingling contents of a contaminated well, with purchased Lake Michigan water. The well contained a known carcinogen, vinyl chloride. As a mother of three young children, feeling her choices were to relocate or to become engaged in local government, chose to walk, to run, and won, fighting for clean water and clean government amidst a scandal that cost the Village over $15 million in litigation, and resulted in 22 felony counts against previous Village officials.
As a public servant, Flynn has demonstrated fiscal responsibility with an annual balanced budget, and actively participating in developing policy and procedure for her Village and chairing both the Finance and Water/Sewer departments.
Prior to running for local office, Flynn was an employee of the MWRD, working in both Pollution Control as well as in the laboratory of the Calumet Plant. Protection of the waterways and flood mitigation are the mission of the District, both of which Flynn has been a proponent and as Trustee has partnered with the MWRD and the Army Corps of Engineers on a flood mitigation within her suburb successfully removing 150 homes from a flood plain: saving homeowners thousands of dollars annually in flood insurance.
Her experience as an employee of the MWRD, having run on an environmental issue as critical as drinking water, her role as a successful public servant initiating policy, procedure and a sound budget allow Flynn to be uniquely qualified for the role as MWRD Commissioner.
Patricia Theresa Flynn currently lives in Crestwood with her husband of 30 years, Mark, a Union painter, where they raised their three children. She currently sits on Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s Advisory Council, is a member of the Southwest Conference of Mayors and is an Illinois Municipal League member. She is a former Director and serves as a lifelong volunteer at Chicago Gaelic Park, focused on the preservation of Irish culture and sport. In additional service to her community, Flynn founded a community Art Council, co-chaired Fine Art Fairs, served as blood drive chair, organized community breast cancer walks, is contributor/editor to the monthly Village newsletter and implemented a Veteran’s Banner Program to publicly recognize servicemen and women throughout the town. Ms. Flynn and the Board also initiated a no-cost sports program to all Crestwood children, encouraging physical activity without financial burden to families.
As a candidate for Commissioner, she is proud of the endorsements received from this Agency from current MWRD Commissioners, Vice President Barbara McGowan and Commissioner Cameron Davis. Patricia Theresa Flynn was also recommended by MWRD Commissioner Josina Morita, to run to fill her vacancy, a testimony to the confidence Commissioner Morita has placed in Flynn as a voice from the Southland for all of Cook County.
For more information visit: https://flynnformwrd.com/
