Gabriella Shanahan of Joliet has announced she will be seeking election in County Board District 2. The primary will be held on June 28, 2022.

Currently, Shanahan sits on the Kendall County Board of Health serving on the finance committee, Joliet Comprehensive Plan committee, is the Chairwoman of the Kendall County Young Republicans and is executive assistant to the President of a prominent Illinois think tank. She has previously served on the 708 Mental Health Board and the Kendall County Forest Preserve Planning and Advisory Committee.

Shanahan said, “during the pandemic, I became intimately aware of the workings of county government as a member of the board of health and am eager to elevate my involvement.”

She continued, “in addition, I recognize the needs of economic development to lower the property tax burden on homeowners, adding to our infrastructure which includes expanding the capacity on Ridge Road which has become a choke point in the county, and continued fiscal accountability and transparency. As a mother of three living in the Joliet portion of the district, I really understand the needs of residents in the high-growth areas.

Kendall County is the fastest-growing county in the state of Illinois once again, it is important we continue modernizing county government to meet the needs of our residents. We are the only county with double-digit growth over the last 10 years.”

If elected, Shanahan also welcomes the opportunity to enhance and preserve the parts of Kendall that make the county unique. This includes working with the local agriculture community and being involved in the Kendall County Forest preserve. Shanahan said, “Kendall County is unique with its communities, fens, nature preserves, and multiple working farms. It is my passion to have all of these areas work and exist in harmony.”

Shanahan lives in Joliet in the Southeast corner of Kendall County with her husband Martin and their three children.