Jeff Pruyn

Daily Herald Endorsed

Jeff Pruyn, Village President

Jeff Pruyn

Village President 2009-Present

  • Director DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference (Past President)
  • Member Metropolitan Mayors Caucus COVID 19 Task Force
  • Treasurer Suburban O’Hare Commission
  • Commissioner DuPage Water Commission (Past Treasurer)
  • Director DuPage Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
  • State of Illinois Elgin O’Hare West Bypass Advisory Council (Appointed by Governor Quinn)

Community

  • Lifelong Resident of Itasca
  • Village Trustee (1995-2009)
  • Itasca Plan Commissioner
  • Parishioner of St. Peter’s Church
  • Member Itasca Lions Club (Past President)
  • Itasca Athletic Association Baseball Coach (IAA)
  • Wood Dale/Itasca Basketball Association Coach (WIBA)

Profession                                                                                                

  • Owner and Certified Public Accountant, Anthes, Pruyn & Associates Accounting Firm, Itasca

Affiliations

  • American Institute of CPA’s
  • Illinois CPA Society

Education

  • University of Illinois, CPA
  • University of Nebraska, BS, BA
  • Federal Emergency Management Institute (F.E.M.A)
  • Itasca Citizen’s Police Academy
  • Lake Park High School
  • Peacock Jr. High
  • Washington (now Benson) Grade School

About the Candidate

Growing up in Itasca, my family impressed on me a responsibility to serve this community we love. Dating back over 80 years, Pruyns have stepped up to serve on the District 10 School Board, Lake Park High School Board, Itasca Park District Board, Itasca Village Board and too many community organizations to mention.

That is why in 2009, when our country was in the grips of the worst recession since the great depression, I stepped up to serve as Mayor. When local elected leaders across the region were stepping down, I stepped up and successfully navigated the Village through the financial challenges and we emerged stronger.

Today, we face unprecedented uncertainty coupled with steep declines in tax revenue. We are faced with a challenge of how to continue to provide the exceptional level of service residents have come to expect now and in the future. I am confident that my leadership, experience, and proven track record of success will continue to prove invaluable as we work together to make sure Itasca thrives for years to come.

As a Certified Public Accountant, I have focused on diversifying the Village’s revenue sources, increasing fiscal accountability, maintaining adequate reserve funding and making smart investments in our future. As a result, Itasca has been able to weather the current crisis increasing our services to residents and businesses when they need help the most.

  • Every Itasca household received $200 in Itasca Bucks over the past year to lower food costs and support struggling restaurants.
  • Itasca launched a grant program providing $150,000 dollars in direct assistance to local restaurants and breweries to help them weather pandemic restrictions.
  • Itasca immediately halted water shut-offs, plus suspended late fees and fines to ease the burden on struggling families.
  • When nearly all municipalities closed their doors to the public, Itasca remained OPEN to serve the community, providing support to residents and businesses when they needed it most.

Over the years, I have worked with the Village Board to

  • Attract new development to town.
  • Invested more than $100 million dollars improving the village’s infrastructure.
  • Eliminated direct fees residents pay for garbage, recycling and yard waste removal.
  • Eliminated vehicle stickers and related fees.
  • Upgraded the Village’s debt rating and restructured payments, saving the taxpayers millions of dollars in borrowing costs.

Born and raised in Itasca, like my parents before me, I attended Itasca public schools until I went off to college. In 1987, I graduated from University of Nebraska with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, passed the exam to become a Certified Public Accountant and returned home to begin my career. 

A few years later after completing her nursing degree, my wife Kristi whom I met at College made me the luckiest guy in the world when she married me.  Our two sons, Austin and Andrew, mark a third generation of Pruyns born and raised in Itasca.

Itasca is not simply my home, it is part of me. This community — each of you — helped shaped me to be the person I am today. That’s why, I remain committed to working collaboratively to make sure that Itasca continues to be an amazing, unique community where generations want to live, work, raise their families, and ultimately retire.

Your Vote Counts

APRIL 6th