Supervisor’s Office

We’ve moved!
The Township Supervisor’s office is now located at:
1015 – 27th St. Zion, IL 60099

Meet Your Zion Township Supervisor
CHERI NEAL

Cheri has served as the Zion Township Supervisor since May, 2001, overseeing a budget of over $1,500,000 and a staff of ten amazingly diverse and dynamic people. She is responsible for coordinating social services for the Zion community. This encompasses youth services including a Summer Work Program employing 90 youth. It also includes delivering to nearly 40 Meals on Wheels recipients each day, as well as an array of other senior services. Her main focus is assisting those who have no other means of overcoming obstacles and finding employment.As for education, Cheri holds a double Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology and Human Behavior in Society from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and is a certified Life Coach thru the Institute for Professional Enrichment Coaching. As a certified life coach, she assists individuals in living their lives to their fullest potential. Currently, she is working on her Masters in Nonprofit Business Administration thru North Park University.

Cheri served as the President and CEO of Community Resources for Education and Wellness, Inc. (CREW), from 2001 thru 2007. Currently, she volunteers as the Community Development Director, where she works diligently to coordinate social service and program providers to bring resources to the Zion and Benton areas. CREW was recently awarded a $40,000 grant from Lake County Community Foundation implement a database system thru Community Collaborations, Inc. to address poverty community-wide.

Additionally, Cheri served as the President of the Coalition for Healthy Communities for three years, which is spearheaded by Cancer Treatment Centers of America- Midwestern Regional Medical Center, “leading our communities in a collaborative effort to improve identified health, wellness and social issues”.

Cheri is employed by the Zion Park District planning/escorting monthly senior trips. One of her goals is to find ways to enhance the lives of seniors. By planning and driving outings, she gets to appreciate that goal actualized. This also led to the creation of the Queen Bees of Zion Red Hat Society, of which she is co-creator and Official Worker Bee.

She is also consumed with addressing poverty issues in a systematic and wholistic manor. Through the work that she has done in the Zion area, she was asked to serve on the Lake County Community Development Commission Executive Board, as well as the Illinois Commission to Eliminate Poverty, as the only township representative for the State of Illinois. She is also the 2nd Vice-President of Lake County Township Officials of Illinois, and serves or served on the following boards: Faith Food Pantry, University Center of Lake County Waukegan Advisory Council, Exchange Club of Zion–Benton, YWCA Girls on the Move Advisory Council, and the Lake County Coalition for the Homeless. She served President and Vice President of the Dunesland Garden Club, and was the first woman to join the Zion–Benton Kiwanis Club and served as a director.

Cheri is also a professional presenter, having presented workshops for the International Municipal Clerks Conference, Illinois Municipal League Conference, Townships of Illinois Conference, University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Zion-Benton Public Library, and area elementary schools. She also facilitates women’s retreats.

Since being elected, Cheri and Zion Township were awarded Supervisor of the Year, Youth Services of the Year, Most Innovative Senior Program of the Year, as well as, being asked to present at the 100th Anniversary of Township Officials of Illinois, addressing both youth and senior issues. Cheri also earned awards which include: Local Hero Award, Pillar of the Community Award, the 2007 Enrique Camarena ”One Person Can Make A Difference” Award, the YWCA of Lake County Community Leadership Award, and the 2008 Lake County Most Influential African American Freedom Award.

Most important in her life are God and her children: Billy, age 23 who lives in Salt Lake City, Utah and Britney, age 17; raising Monarch Butterflies, gardening (especially Zinnias – she is a Blue Ribbon Winner at the Lake County Fair), and assisting others in living life to its fullest.

Her career aspirations are to be the very best Township Supervisor she can be. Her vision is to arrest poverty in her community for those who so choose. In 1957, it was President Kennedy’s vision to land on the moon…how much more difficult was that?