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About Kelli Wegener

Through her service on the McHenry County Board and years of volunteer work, Kelli has a proven track record of good governance and putting the county's residents' needs first. When elected McHenry County's Chairperson in 2024, Kelli will bring that community focus to Board leadership.

With her years of experience in finance, volunteering and board service, she has the skills, character and knowledge needed to address the important issues facing McHenry county. Kelli also strives to go the extra mile to learn about the issues, help and advocate for constituents, and participate in community organizations. As a local mom, Kelli understands the concerns of families and is dedicated to ensuring the best possible future for all McHenry County residents.

Background

Kelli and her husband Phil have lived in the same house in Crystal Lake for over twenty years. Their family has grown to include three children and their dog, Izzie. Kelli loves to sing, garden, and read.

 

Kelli earned an MBA from DePaul University and has focused her career on finance and accounting. She was a bank examiner at the Federal Reserve Bank, an accountant in a trading firm at the Chicago Board of Trade, a project manager at the Board of Trade Clearing Corporation, and now works as the financial director at First Congregational Church in Crystal Lake.

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Kelly was elected to the McHenry County Board in 2018.

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Volunteering

Volunteering

Volunteering and public service have been a way of life for Kelli. Growing up, she helped her parents donate their time and talents through service projects at church. She has been the Treasurer of multiple non-profit organizations, coached Let Me Run (a self-esteem, lesson-based running program for boys), coordinated many large projects and benefit events for various non-profits and schools, taught Sunday School, and organized collections for disaster-stricken Haiti.

 

When someone needs help, Kelli is usually one of the first people to jump in to respond. Kelli and Phil are raising their children to understand their responsibility and personal value in helping others. They have participated as a family in many programs and events. It's not just a lesson: their children enjoy what they're doing and have voluntarily participated in projects without their parents' involvement.

 

Kelli is the founding member of McHenry Sr-TechConnect, a project that provides tablets to isolated seniors, allowing them to connect "face-to-face" with their family and friends using online meeting software. Various grants fund the program, so tablets are free to seniors, include a data plan and also allow these seniors to attend online meetings or telehealth visits with doctors.

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In 2017 and 2018, Kelli organized local participation in the Women’s March-Chicago and coordinated transportation for 230+ people to Chicago on the day of the march. She also co-organized the March for Our Lives-Woodstock in March.

Kelli was elected to the McHenry County Board on November 6, 2018
 

Highlights:

  • Vice-Chair of the Finance Committee

  • Law & Government Committee Member

  • Public Health and Community Services Committee Member

  • Liaison to Workforce Network Council

  • Member of the McHenry Council of Governments

  • Member of the Stormwater Commission 

  • Liaison to the McHenry Conservation District

  • Member of the Special Census Committee 2019-2020

  • Member of the Rules Committee 2019

Other Community Involvement
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  • Board Member - Home of the Sparrow

  • Board Member - Community Foundation of McHenry County

  • Founder - McHenry Sr-TechConnect program

  • Member - Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce

  • Member - NOW

  • Tutoring Seniors to use technology

  • Member - People in Need Steering Committee

Kelli's Accomplishments
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  • Successfully eliminated mileage reimbursement for County Board members to commute to county board meetings.

  • Advocated for drop-boxes for Vote-By-Mail ballots. There is now one drop box in each polling location and a permanent drop box located at the County Administration Building.

  • Working to aid residents in Holiday Hills afford connection to a sewer system currently being installed.

  • Evaluate and track the progress of $29 million in grant requests for ARPA Community grants.

  • Fought for the installation of a stoplight at the Walkup entrance of Prairie Ridge High School.

  • Created a Business Evaluation Grant Panel to take part in an independent review of business grant applicants.

  • Arranged & moderated a meeting between the County Chair, Sheriff & various group representatives who advocated for canceling the ICE Contract between the federal government and our county.

  • Pushed (and succeeded) in increasing communication from the county government.

  • Worked with county staff to create the first version of the COVID-19 Informational Portal on the McHenry County website.

  • Raised over $17,000 to house homeless individuals through Hope Takes Action during the frigid weather in 2021 and 2022.

  • Recruited & coordinated volunteers for two clinics held at McHenry County College where over 400 people were given the COVID-19 vaccine before the vaccine was readily available.

  • Fed over 150 county citizens on Christmas Eve 2018 who otherwise would not have had a warm holiday meal.

  • Organized a Naloxone (Narcan) training for the community to help reduce overdose deaths.

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