Cheri Ditzig
BIO

Hi.  I have been the Zion Township Supervisor since May of 2001, where I serve as CEO and treasurer, overseeing a budget of over $1,000,000 and a staff of twelve amazingly diverse dynamic people.  I am responsible for coordinating social services for the Zion community, a Summer Work Program employing 117 youth (as well as other youth services), delivering to nearly 60 Meals on Wheels recipients each day (as well as an array of other senior services) and assisting those who have no other means of overcoming obstacles and finding employment.  I take my responsibilities very seriously. 

I hold a double Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology and Human Behavior in Society, and am currently working to expand my education to become a certified Life Coach.  By becoming a certified life coach, I hope to better assist residents in living their lives to their fullest potential.

I am also the President and CEO of Community Resources for Education and Wellness, Inc. (CREW), where I work diligently to coordinate service and program providers to bring resources to the Zion and Benton areas.
CREW also provides substance abuse counseling services for nearly 300 individuals each year.  Additionally, I serve as the President of the Coalition for Healthy Communities and was instrumental in creating the first comprehensive, bilingual community resource directory, as well as raising the awareness of cultural issues in the Zion–Benton Community.

The Zion Park District is also my employer where I am a camera operator and an event planner/escort for senior trips.  I am the co-creator and Official Worker Bee for the Queen Bees of Zion Red Hat Society, am a member of the  Dunesland Garden Club (did the president and vice president thing there too), the 2nd Vice-President of Lake County Township Officials of Illinois, and serve on the following boards: Faith Food Pantry, Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), University Center of Lake County Waukegan Advisory Council, YWCA Girls on the Move Advisory Council, and Community & Law Enforcement United for Every Senior (CLUES). I am also a member of Exchange Club of Zion–Benton and the Lake County Coalition for the Homeless.  I served as a House Captain for Christmas in April and was the first woman to join the Zion–Benton Kiwanis Club and serve as a director.

I am not afraid to face a challenge.  This is evident in the plethora of community involvements to which I am committed, the fact that I have been skydiving (twice) and in our attempt to Save the Zion Ice Arena from closing by raising $500,000 in just a few months to renovate the arena, and being in recovery for over 21 years.

Most important in my life are God, my children (Billy, age 19 and Britney, age 13), Monarch Butterflies, gardening (especially Zinnias – I am a Blue Ribbon Winner at the Lake County Fair), and assisting others in living life to its fullest.