Senior Staff

Kevin J. Jackson became the Village Manager in March 2022. His career in local government spans 25 years. Prior to assuming his role as Oak Park's Village Manager, he had served for more than four years as Deputy City Manager of Long Beach, California. Kevin also spent more than nine years as Neighborhood Services Director for the City of Champaign, Illinois, after serving in progressive roles in city governments in Arizona.

Education: Master of Public Administration and Bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Sociology from Arizona State University.

Notable Professional Activities and Affiliations: International City Managers Association (ICMA); National Forum for Black Public Administrators.

Lisa Shelley's career in municipal government has spanned two decades, including city management positions with the Village of Lake Bluff, Village of Barrington and Village of Woodridge. She joined the Village of Oak Park as assistant to the Public Works Director in January 1998. She was promoted to Assistant to the Village Manager in September 2000, then promoted to the position of Deputy Village Manager in December 2003. She was named Interim Village Manager in August 2021, a post she held through March 21, 2021.

Education: Masters of Public Administration in City Management from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb; Bachelor of Political Science from Lake Forest College.

Notable Professional Activities and Affiliations: International City Managers Association (ICMA); Illinois City Manager's Association (ILCMA) and served on various ILCMA committees such as State Conference(s) Committee, Professional Development, Chairperson of Diversity and Membership; also member of Illinois Association of Municipal Management Assistants (IAMMA) and served on various IAMMA Committees such as Professional Development and Training Committee.

Ahmad Zayyad joined the Village in February 2021 as the Deputy Village Manager. He has more than eight years of experience in government administration overseeing organizational-wide initiatives, project management, budgeting, contract management, policy development, data analysis, RFP/BID development, grant funding coordination, identifying and implementing performance measures and opportunities for process improvements enhancements to increase Return on Investments (ROI).

Prior to joining the Oak Park team, he worked as the Risk Manager/Assistant to the Village Manager in the Village of Orland Park. After completing his graduate studies, he began his career in city management with the City Manager's Office in the City of Evanston.

Education: Master's Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Local Government Management from the University of Illinois Chicago, multiple Lean Six Sigma Certifications from Northern Illinois University, and a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Governors State University.

Notable Professional Activities and Affiliations: International City Managers Association (ICMA); Illinois City Manager's Association (ILCMA); Illinois Association of Municipal Management Assistants (IAMMA); and also a Board Member of the GIS Consortium Board which includes over 35 regional communities.

Paul L. Stephanides joined the Village of Oak Park in September 2013. He most recently practiced law as an attorney and partner with the Chicago-based law firm of Robbins, Schwartz, Nicholas, Lifton & Taylor, Ltd. Prior to that, he was a senior assistant attorney for the City of Naperville, a post he assumed in 1992. He also has served as an assistant general attorney with the Chicago Park District.

Education: Undergraduate degree and Juris Doctor from DePaul University.

Notable Professional Activities/Affiliations: Regional Vice President of the International Municipal Lawyers Association, President of the Illinois Local Governmental Lawyers Association and Chair of the Illinois Municipal League Home Rule Attorneys Committee. Oak Park resident.

Robert Anderson served as attorney for Cook County's Mandatory Arbitration Program from 2001 to 2010, then hearing officer for Chicago Public Schools from 2007 to 2008 dealing with expulsion and truancy matters. He was arbitrator for the Better Business Bureau of Chicago from 2009 to 2010. Anderson joined the Village of Oak Park as an administrative law judge in 2008, and became director of adjudication in 2010. Additional experience includes more than 10 years of experience as real estate broker and title insurance agent.

Education: Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Roosevelt University; Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law.

Notable Professional Activities and Affiliations: Served on Court Appointed Attorney Panel for U.S. District Court; served on Court Appointed Attorney Panel for the Illinois Appellate Court 1st District; served on Court Appointed Attorney Panel for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals; served in Court Appointed Attorney Program for State Appellate Defender; served as Attorney for the Cook County Bar Association's Community Law Project; served as pro bono attorney through the Midwest Immigrants' Rights Center; provided pro bono legal services through cooperation with neighborhood church; admitted to the Bar of the State of Illinois; admitted to the Bar of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals; admitted to the Bar of the U.S. District Court.

Marcella Bondie Keenan, AICP, LEED AP, was named Chief Sustainability Officer in March 2023. A leader in amplifying Oak Park's ongoing sustainability efforts, Bondie Keenan has diligently guided Climate Ready Oak Park, a comprehensive and long-range plan that provides the community with a vision, goals, and actions to make Oak Park more sustainable and resilient. In addition to her work in climate, energy, and sustainability, Bondie Keenan has valuable experience in water and green infrastructure, environmental justice and urban planning, food systems and urban agriculture, transportation, and mobility.

Education: Master's degree urban planning and policy with an environmental concentration from the University of Illinois Chicago; Bachelor's degrees from the Wheaton College.

Notable Professional Activities and Affiliations: A member of the American Planning Association, Bondie Keenan received the Illinois Chapter's distinguished service award in 2020.

Dan Yopchick was named Chief Communications Officer in October 2022. Prior to arriving at the Village, Yopchick served as Senior Associate Athletic Director of Strategic Communications with the University of Illinois Chicago. His 15-year communications career prior to coming to Oak Park also included communications roles with Northwestern University, the Chicago White Sox and the Bakersfield Blitz.

Education: Master's degree from Northwestern University; Bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa.

Tammie Grossman has 20 years of experience in federal and state housing programs. She served as legal services attorney for 15 years with Prairie State Legal Services. As managing attorney for one of Prairie State's nine offices, she supervised a staff of nine attorneys, two paralegals and three support staff. She has authored numerous web-based interactive legal education housing materials for attorneys and pro se litigants for Illinois Legal Aid Online. This experience led to a position as Executive Director for Housing Action Illinois. After joining the Village of Oak Park, she led the effort to redesign all Village housing programs funded with Community Development Block Grant funds (CDBGs) and Village general revenue funds. In late 2013, she was selected to head up the newly created Development Customer Services Department, which oversees Planning, Business Services, Housing and Building Standards divisions. Under her direction, the Village Implemented new a software system to automate the Village's permitting, inspection and licensing activities, which has led to more than 50 percent of all permitting activities now being conducted online.

Education: Bachelor of Arts from Northern Illinois University; J.D. from DePaul University's College of Law.

Notable Professional Activities and Affiliations: Oak Park resident since 1996, Visit Oak Park , Oak Park Area Arts Council, and Downtown Oak Park board member, Steering Committee of Oak Park Homelessness Coalition.

Steven Drazner began with the Village of Oak Park as Deputy CFO in August 2015 and was subsequently promoted to CFO in June 2016 after successfully serving as the Interim CFO for approximately four months. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) registered through the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation, Steve began his career in municipal finance in June 2001after holding accounting positions of various capacities in the private sector. Municipal finance positions he has held range from Chief Accountant to Finance Director for three other local units of government, including Countryside, Evanston and Morton Grove.

Education: Bachelor of Science from Northern Illinois University and a Certified Public Accountant in Illinois.

Notable Professional Affiliations: Governmental Finance Officers Association (GFOA); Illinois Government Finance Officers Association (IGFOA); Illinois CPA Society.

Ronald Kobyleski became Fire Chief in December 2021. A veteran of the Oak Park Fire Department since 1985, Chief Kobyleski had served as an interim Fire Chief since April 2021 following the retirement of his predecessor. He had been Deputy Fire Chief since July 2020. Ron has held every rank available in the Oak Park Fire Department, including 10 years as a Battalion Chief and five years as the department's Training Officer. He has been a certified Fire Investigator, Hazardous-Materials Technician, Technical Rescue in building collapse, high rise rescue, trench rescue and confined space rescue. He also was the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) Division 11 Hazardous Materials and Technical Rescue Team leader for nine years.

Education: State of Illinois Fire Marshal certified Advance Fire Officer, State Fire Marshal Certified Training Program Manager, Study done in architectural design and building construction.

Notable Professional Activities and Affiliations: International Fire Chief's Association; Illinois Fire Chiefs Association; National Fire Protection Association.

Shatonya Johnson was named Chief of Police in October 2022. She joined the Oak Park Police Department in 2000 as a patrol officer and rose steadily through the ranks to serve as a neighborhood resource officer, juvenile specialist, detective, sergeant and commander, deputy chief and interim chief. She was promoted to Deputy Police Chief in October 2020 after serving as detective commander. Prior to arriving in Oak Park, Johnson served in a variety of public service roles including as a case manager with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, a correctional officer at the Will County Jail, and a patrol officer for the Cook County Forest Preserves.

Education: Masters in Organizational Behavior/Organizational Development from Benedictine University. Bachelors in Law Enforcement Administration from Western Illinois University. A graduate of the Public Safety Staff and Command School at Northwestern University and the Senior Management Institute of Police in Boston.

Theresa Chapple-McGruder, PhD., became director of the Oak Park Department of Public Health in May 2021. A governmental and applied epidemiologist, Dr. Chapple-McGruder has spent the majority of her career at local, state and federal health agencies, and with organizations that directly support governmental public health. During the COVID-19 crises, she helped school districts craft reopening plans and provided expert consultations to recreational sports teams, news media operations and community-based organizations to help flatten the infection curve and promote vaccination. As director of the Oak Park Department of Public Health, Dr. Chapple-McGruder oversees one of only four municipal health departments in suburban Cook County certified by the state to provide public health programming.

Education: PhD in Epidemiology and Maternal and Child Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Master's degree in public health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Bachelor's degree in psychology from Clark University in Atlanta

Rob Sproule is a longtime public servant who became Pubic Works Director in July 2022. He served as the Village's Assistant Public Works Director from 2020-2022, sharing in management responsibility for all Public Works services and activities. He was first hired at the Village in 2014 as Forestry Superintendent overseeing Oak Park's urban forestry management program. Prior to his work at the Village he was a Conservatory Arborist at the Chicago Park District from 2012-2014 and Senior Horticulturist for the City of Chicago from 2009-2012.

Education: Bachelor of Arts Degree from Fordham University; Master of Forestry Degree from the University of Maine. Certified Public Works Professional in Management through the American Public Works Association. Board Certified Master Arborist through the International Society of Arboriculture.

Notable Professional Activities and Affiliations: Chairperson of the Illinois Urban and Community Forestry Committee and member of the Illinois Forestry Development Council and Chicago Region Trees Initiative Executive Advisory Council.

Kira Tchang has been supporting and leading human resources teams since 2007. She most recently served as the Chief People Officer for Civitas Education Partners, where she managed human resources and talent strategy for over 300 employees and contractors, with a particular focus on labor relations. Prior to that she held a number of HR roles with the United Neighborhood Organization of Chicago, including serving as the Director of Human Resources where she oversaw the HR needs for over 750 employees throughout the city of Chicago. She began her HR career in Community Unit School District 300, located in the northwest suburbs. Kira lives in Oak Park with her husband and three children.

Education: Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Northern Illinois University

Notable Professional Activities and Affiliations: Certified Crucial Conversations and Crucial Accountability Trainer, Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) Certified Professionals.

Alvin Nepomuceno has served in local government since April 1990. His past positions have included Systems Analyst with the City of Highland Park from April 1990 to April 1998. He joined the Village of Oak Park as its first Director of Information Technology to modernize, centralize and integrate the Village's technological systems.

Education: Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems from DePaul University.

Notable Professional Activities and Affiliations: Member of Government Management Information Sciences International.

Danielle Walker, PhD, became the first person to hold the position of Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer when she joined the Village in August 2022. Before coming to Oak Park, Dr. Walker most recently served as Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Administrator for the City and County of Denver-City Attorney's Office. Her professional background includes serving as a Policy Advisor for the Colorado Department of Health Care, Policy and Finance with a focus on equity within the disability community. She has nearly a decade of experience researching strategies around diversity, equity and inclusion plans for a wide range of industries. Dr. Walker's accomplishments include being the founder of the Racism Lives Here initiative for higher education and receiving the 47th NAACP Image Chairman's Award for activism.

Education: PhD in Philosophy with a concentration on critical social issues in education from the University of Colorado-Denver, Master's degree in public affairs from the University of Missouri and Bachelor of Arts degree in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Missouri.