One of the best ways for mayors to achieve ambitious goals is by forging stronger connections with the people they serve. And one of the best ways they can do that is by learning how to effectively share more about themselves, their values and why they care so much about the challenges faced by their communities.
Orland Park Mayor Jim Dodge did that recently during his first State-of-the-Village address before more than 100 members of the Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Orland Park Civic Center.
“The future of Orland Park is bright,” Dodge said. “The reason is that we have a team of great residents, businesses and employees all working selflessly as a team for the good of this amazing community.
“Orland Park really is the gem of the southwest suburbs,” he said. “We have everything a prospective homeowner would want. We have great neighborhoods, high-performing schools, abundant shopping and dozens of parks and other athletic fields.”
Dodge said the village needs to achieve a balance in terms of the types and numbers of businesses coming into town. “We certainly don’t want to over-saturate the village with too many of the same businesses.”
Dan McMillan, president of OPACC, lauded the mayor’s speech as motivation to get everyone involved.
“Jim was like a coach giving his players an inspirational speech before a game,” said McMillan, who is the chief financial officer for the Joe Rizza Auto Group. “Orland Park has everything you could ever want in terms of housing and amenities.”
He called the Orland Park Public Library “the jewel of Orland Park.” “It is the finest library in the state.”
Dodge said that “the foundations of family, friendship and shared values keep us grounded in the present, even while we look to the future.”
“We have a pretty good quality of life here in the village,” the mayor said. “Working together, we can make it even better.”