Early Voting
February 10, 2025
Mayor Jesal Patel has lived in Lincolnwood since he was just 4 years old. Jesal attended the district 74 schools and grew up working as a caddy at the Bryn Mawr country club. He attended Loyola academy for high school and is a graduate of Indiana University’s Kelly School of Business with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance-Real Estate. Jesal’s business, Patel Realty, is located in Lincolnwood and specializes in residential and commercial real estate sales, investment, development and management. Jesal serves in leadership and advocacy roles for two of the largest commercial real estate organizations in the world, The international Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA).
Jesal served as a Trustee in Lincolnwood from 2007 to 2021 and during that time served as Board liaison to multiple Village Committees and Boards while also serving as Chair of the Finance Committee and the former Committee on Ordinances, Rules, and Buildings. Jesal’s vast experience and knowledge along with his obvious passion and ability make him an excellent member of local government. Since his election to the Office of Mayor in 2021, Jesal has continued to work in service of the Village to maintain and improve our way of life here in Lincolnwood Mayor Patel has fostered the Service First philosophy within the Village and the result has been a greatly improved experience for all when working with our staff. Effective planning, streamlining of processes, revisions of codes and regulations, along with improved staffing are all hallmarks of Mayor Patel’s administration.
Jesal Patel’s Achievements
- Trustee since 2007
- Finance Committee Chair
- Committee on Ordinances Rules and Buildings (CORB) Chair
- Board Liaison – Economic Development Commission
- Board Liaison – Zoning Board of Appeals
- Board Liaiason – Plan Commission
- Board Liaiason – Human Relations Commission
- Board Liaison – Beautification Commission
- Board Liaison – Parks Board
- Over 18 years and 2000 hours on the dais
A Lincolnwood resident since 2002, Sokol Delisi is known for being a familiar and friendly face in the community. From his early days of biking around and waving to neighbors to more recently serving on the Village of Lincolnwood Parks and Recreation Board as Commissioner, he is driven by that close-knit neighborhood feeling that makes Lincolnwood, Lincolnwood.
Sokol is a proud first generation Albanian-American and an alumnus of Lincolnwood School District 74 and Niles Township High School District 219. He continued his studies at DePaul University graduating summa cum laude with a Political Science degree. His educational background provides him a strong academic foundation in governance, public policy, and administrative procedures.
After school hours, Sokol worked at the Village of Lincolnwood Parks and Recreation department as a facility supervisor. This experience presented an understanding of Lincolnwood’s offerings and community members’ needs through informal conversations and observations. Most notably, Sokol was the first ever appointed community member to serve on the Lincolnwood School District 74 Board of Education Policy Committee. He learned first-hand the importance of recording, improving, and implementing policies and procedures. This position led him to participate in the 75th Anniversary Planning Committee helping to secure speakers like the United States Attorney General, Merrick Garland, and WNBA star, Jewell Loyd, to highlight their Lincolnwood stories and the importance of community.
In 2019, Sokol was appointed commissioner on the Lincolnwood Parks and Recreation Board, where he has made a significant impact through his dedication and innovative thinking. As a commissioner, he excels at actively listening to community feedback and offering diverse perspectives to craft effective policies and improvements. His leadership has led to the successful renovation of Flowers Park, the introduction of updated park signage, and the development of a visionary 5-year master parks plan. Sokol’s passion for enhancing Lincolnwood ensures that our community continues to thrive with exceptional programs and state-of-the-art facilities for all to enjoy.
Professionally, Sokol works as a project manager for a prominent eDiscovery firm specializing in legal technology that helps corporations, government agencies, and law firms solve complex data problems. In this capacity, he has developed a keen eye for detail, organizational skills, white glove customer service, and the ability to manage complex systems and records. These skills are directly applicable to the responsibilities of the office of village clerk, where accuracy and efficiency are instrumental in handling public documents and municipal records.
Sokol Delisi is devoted to ensuring that our village’s operations run smoothly and that our community’s needs are met with integrity and dedication. Join Sokol in continuing the growth and success of Lincolnwood!
Sokol Delisi’s Achievements
- BS Political Science, DePaul University
- 2-Term Park and Recreation Commissioner, Village of Lincolnwood Park and Recreation Board
- Former 3-Term Policy Committee Member, Lincolnwood School District 74 Board of Education
- Former 75th Anniversary Planning Committee Member, Lincolnwood School District 74 Board of Education
Trustee Jean Ikezoe-Halevi has lived in Lincolnwood for 34 years. She was elected in 2017 after serving as a commissioner on the Zoning Board of Appeals since 2013. Prior to that, she was on Lincolnwood’s Human Relations Commission for 16 years, where she served multiple terms as chair, vice-chair and secretary.
Jean was born in Chicago and grew up near Wrigley Field. She received her Master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and has an extensive background in television and newspapers. She recently retired from a national investment firm.
Jean serves as liaison to Lincolnwood’s Board of Fire and Police Commission. She represents our Village at the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook (SWANCC).
She is married and has two adult children, a son who works for the TSA and a daughter who is a mechanical engineer. Jean is committed to keeping Lincolnwood a village where people want to live and raise their families.
Jean Ikezoe-Halevi’s Achievements
- Trustee since 2017
- Board Liaison – Board of Fire and Police Commission
- Director – Board of Directors, Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC)
- Received an award from the National Kidney Foundation for her television documentary on kidney transplants.
- Received four local Emmy nominations.
- Former Board Liaison – Human Relations Commission (HRC)
- Former Delegate – Northwest Municipal Conference (NWMC)
- Former Executive Committee – Asian American Local Elected Leaders in Illinois (AALEI)
- Local Volunteer:
- Cub Scouts
- School District 74 PTA
- Lincolnwood Library
- Turkey Trot
Grace Diaz Herrera, proud to be raised in Lincolnwood since 1975 . After losing her father at an early age, Grace, her mother and younger brothers were immediately embraced and comforted by Lincolnwood’s wonderful community. Those moments have been significant in shaping their lives and Grace’s love of and gratitude to our Lincolnwood community.
Grace is a proud Jaguar, a graduate of Niles West High School, Lincolnwood Day Camp camper, former Lincolnwood Softball player and coach, and parishioner at Queen of All Saints. She has a Bachelor of Science in Economics with a Minor in Political Science from DePaul University and an MBA from Keller Graduate School. After working in banking, investments and law, she became a full-time Realtor for the last 21years specializing in residential real estate. She is also a CrossFit Level 2 and Bootcamp trainer. Grace had served a second term for the Lincolnwood Parks and Recreation Board prior to being elected as a Trustee in 2021.
Incorporating her wide experience in investments, finance, real estate, law, insurance and fitness, Grace brings the values of progress and accountability to the Village Board and reputable service to the Lincolnwood community. As a first-generation American, Grace has a deep understanding and appreciation for diversity, history, and culture. As Grace and her husband, Adrian, returned to Lincolnwood to raise their three children, her desire has only grown to preserve, protect, and continue to improve Lincolnwood for our children, our families, and our community for generations to come.
Grace Diaz Herrera’s Achievements
- BS Economics, DePaul University
- MBA, Keller Graduate School
- Residential Real Estate Specialist
- Lincolnwood School district 74 PTA past member
- Lincolnwood School district 74 PALS member
- 2-Term Lincolnwood Parks and Recreation Board Member
- Trustee since 2021
- Liaison to the Parks and Recreation Board
Neal is the youngest of five children raised in Lincolnwood in the house his parents built in the mid-50’s. In 2006, Neal and his wife Jennifer moved back to Lincolnwood, making him nearly a life-long resident of the village. Neal’s service to Lincolnwood goes back to the early 70’s when he helped his mom canvas for support to build the pool, a very popular summer community amenity even over 50 years later. Like Neal, his children benefited from Lincolnwood School District 74 and Niles West education before attending reputable universities. Jennifer, born and raised in Wisconsin, has adopted Lincolnwood as home and has had the pleasure of creating some of our youths’ first classroom experiences as she teaches early childhood development in the Pre-K program at Todd Hall. In fact, she teaches in the same room Neal had for kindergarten.
Neal started his career as a CPA at a regional public accounting firm. However, for most of his career, he has focused on mortgage brokerage and advisory services for commercial real estate. Over the years he has gained the trust and confidence of real estate clients to represent them to secure competitive financing, negotiate terms and manage transactional activity. In the industries that he serves, Neal is often a speaker and writes articles on relevant financing topics of concern to real estate investors.
Neal also served as President of Temple Beth Israel, located in Skokie, during the primary years that the pandemic interrupted everyday life. In his leadership role, he worked closely with the lay leadership and clergy to pivot all services and activities to keep its members engaged and connected as a community while remaining safe and healthy. Prior to serving as President, he served in financial and fundraising positions.
This is the first time that Neal is running as a Candidate for Trustee. His Lincolnwood upbringing and nearly life-long residency along with his experience in various aspects of real estate finance and community service provides him a wealth of knowledge to bring business and common-sense leadership in coordination with other Village officials to continue the vibrant and forward-thinking leadership that Lincolnwood deserves.
Neal’s credentials
- Executive Director – Capital Markets as a division of a commercial real estate management and holding company.
- Graduated from Indiana University with a BS in Business.
- Illinois real estate broker’s license.