(Chairman, Community Services Committee)
Emily Gerdes, Alderman Ward I, was appointed in July, 2017, and elected to a two-year term in 2019, and a four-year term in 2021. Emily is a lifelong resident of Byron. She attended grades K-12 in the Byron School District, and went on to receive her Associate's degree from Rock Valley College. Emily enjoys Byron’s small-town approach to life and access to essential amenities. She loves the school district for her children and values the safety that the Police Department provides. She and her family like to take advantage of Park District and Forest Preserve activities, and frequent the downtown businesses often. “It is all of our responsibility to make our community better. I love being involved in helping make a difference”, she said. Citizen communication and involvement, improving the Police Department by adding a School Resource Officer, accomplishing more growth and improvements to the city’s infrastructure (streets, water, and sewer), are all ways she hopes to strengthen our community. Emily and her husband, Josh, have been married nine years, and have a son, Cooper, and a daughter, Collins. In her spare time, she enjoys fishing with her family, playing slow pitch softball, and crafting with her children. “Thank you for allowing me to serve you and be your voice as an alderman in Ward I. What do you want to see changed in Byron?” Emily can be reached by emailing egerdes [at] es-il.org, or by calling 815-703-9135.