Meet the Candidates: Kenilworth Village Board, village president and village clerk (uncontested)

Four candidates, three of whom are incumbents, are running to represent the Village of Kenilworth.

Village President Cecily Kaz, Village Clerk Michael Gagnon and Trustees Amy Hannus and Christopher Ottsen are running for reelection, while Joseph Vitu Jr. is a newcomer running for a seat on the Village Board. All five are endorsed by the Kenilworth Citizens Advisory Committee.

Below are basic profiles of the candidates, each of whom submitted a digital form upon request from The Record. The order they are presented was selected at random.

These profiles are a layer of The Record’s election coverage and are meant to provide community members with basic information about those running for and taking public office. The Record will not conduct independent interviews for uncontested races.

VILLAGE PRESIDENT

Name: Cecily Kaz

Professional experience: Consulting, architecture

Community experience/involvement: I have been honored to serve on the Village Board for the last eight years, four years as a trustee and four as Village President.

Why are you running for reelection to this public office?

I hope to see to completion the current projects underway in both our business district and the Kenilworth Beach. I enjoy engaging with residents with the goal of improving services, and value collaboration with the board and staff. I’m deeply committed to promoting Kenilworth as a safe, vibrant, and welcoming community. It is for these reasons that I seek reelection.

KENILWORTH VILLAGE CLERK

Name: Michael Gagnon

Professional experience: Municipal finance

Community experience/involvement: We have lived in the same home in Kenilworth for 22 years. In that time we have participated in community projects for the neighbors on our cul-de-sac, supported countless Eagle Scout projects, supported community-wide fundraisers, joined the Kenilworth Historical Society and attend church in town.

Why are you running for reelection to this public office?

I am running for reelection as village clerk because the Village of Kenilworth is in the middle of a number of exciting initiatives including a lakefront revitalization project, improvements to the Green Bay Road business district, and important enhancements to its zoning code. I am also a member of a board that likes to keep streets repaired, sewers flowing, and pensions funded as efficiently and economically as possible. I’m proud of my fellow board members and I want to continue to support their efforts for another four years.

KENILWORTH VILLAGE BOARD

Name: Christopher Ottsen

Professional experience: Civil engineering

Community experience/involvement: Village of Kenilworth Trustee (2021 – present)
• Co-chair Kenilworth Lakefront Planning Committee
• Chairman Kenilworth Public Works Committee
• Kenilworth Sailing Club – board member (2019-present)
• Kenilworth Sailing Club – commodore (2025 – present)

Why are you running for reelection to this public office?

I strongly feel that all residents have a civic duty, whether it be in supporting schools, religious institutions, parks/recreation, community organizations, or government. Kenilworth is a very small community, and we rely on citizen-volunteers to help provide the resources and services that make the community a very special place. My background in engineering and civil works is well aligned with many of the initiatives and capital projects that are in the Village’s near-term plans.

Name: Amelia (Amy) Hannus

Professional experience: Marketing and communications professional

Community experience/involvement: Member of the Neighbors of Kenilworth
• VP of The Joseph Sears School Parent Volunteer Association
• Previous VP of The Joseph Sears School Booster Club
• Mom to a fifth-grader at Sears and a freshman at New Trier High School
• 13-year North Shore resident

Why are you running for reelection to this public office?

Elected in 2021, I’ve proudly served on the Village Board of Kenilworth including chairing the Building, Planning and Zoning and serving as a member on the Public Works and Public Safety committees. I’ve improved strategic planning, communication, transparency and resident-informed priority setting. I would like to continue leading, as chair of the BPZ, the first comprehensive Zoning Code review since 1969, to continue dialogue with residents about the lakefront improvement project, and to outline guidelines and best practices for our new public information officer.

Name: Joseph F. Vitu Jr.

Professional experience: Attorney

Community experience/involvement: Commissioner, Historic Preservation Commission, Village of Wilmette 2013 -2019
• Board member, New Trier High School Booster Club 2019-2022
• Practicing attorney since 1997 with offices in downtown Chicago and Kenilworth
• Arbitrator – Cook County Circuit Courts
• Married, four children

Why are you running for this public office?

With Kenilworth in the midst of several major capital improvement projects across the village, I offer my time and background in real estate and construction law — together with nearly 30 years experience in contract analysis and negotiation — to serve the needs of the Village Board. I look forward to assisting the board in successfully navigating these projects in a fiscally responsible and publicly transparent manner to not only protect what makes our village so special, but to recognize and address the expectations our residents have for their village and the facilities and services their village provides.

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