Gloria Van Hof Kicks off Democratic Candidacy for McHenry County Board District 2

Long-time McHenry County resident and community leader Gloria Van Hof of Crystal Lake has announced her candidacy for County Board District 2 in the April Democratic Primary election.  Her campaign kick-off event will be held this Sunday, from 1 to 3 pm at Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, 8515 Redtail Drive, Lakewood.

The event will feature food and refreshments, a cash bar, and original original stories by Emmy Award-winning storyteller, Jim May. Campaign donations are welcome and signatures on Gloria’s and other Democrats’ nominating petitions will be collected.  Mask and proof of Covid-19 vaccination are required.

When she was known as Gloria Urch she was my co-host for several years for the Diversity Day Festival on Woodstock Square.

I have been proud to know and work with Gloria for almost 40 years including our years as co-hosts of the old Diversity Day Festival on Woodstock Square.  I have admired her wide range of interests and been impressed by her community and professional experience and commitments.  Endorsing her for the newly redistricted Board seat is one of the easiest things I have ever done.

Van Hof said in an announcement of her campaign:

I would like to note that while I’ve been involved as a community activist for many years, I do not consider myself a politician. I’m a mom, teacher, writer, previous business-owner, licensed Nursing Home Administrator who has worked in long-term care for the past 18 years, a McHenry County Merit Commissioner since 2001, a member of the Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation, a member of the Friends of MCC Foundation Board, an Underground Railroad researcher and lecturer, a volunteer for numerous groups, a Crystal Lake citizen and an Alabama native who has lived in McHenry County since 1976.

I chose to plant my roots here, raise my children here, write a column for the local paper, volunteer in the schools and the community, host a cable TV show called “People You Should Know in McHenry County,” conduct the county’s first Underground Railroad tour in 1993 in association with the McHenry County Community Arts Council and McHenry County College

I would like the opportunity to serve on the McHenry County Board because I believe I can help make positive contributions to the county where I have lived for the past 46 years. Like you, I want to see McHenry County grow and prosper. By serving on the County Board, I believe I can help to improve communication, transparency, diplomacy, economic vitality, community identity and effective management of our resources.

The county has demonstrated a great example of collaborative problem-solving by partnering with social agencies to address the mental health crisis that we face as a nation, and the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office has done an excellent job of enhancing their public persona to demonstrate their effectiveness as law enforcement professionals and also as caring and compassionate civil servants.

As a board member, I will bring fresh perspectives, positive approaches and creative ideas to the McHenry County Board using my experience of planning, leadership, fiscal and budgetary responsibility, working with regulatory agencies and collaboration with individuals from diverse backgrounds. My passion, which is demonstrated from my track record of the work I’ve done in the community and in my various careers, is to bring people together, work towards a common goal, focus on a positive vision and make decisions that demonstrate integrity, creativity, compassion, and care for the constituents we serve.