Mayor Donny Schmidt
A Man after his Community's own Heart
By Theobeat Cheon
14 December 2022
It’s not every day you get to sit down and talk with your mayor. A local government position that was traditionally unreachable for an everyday citizen to plead their case with. Unlike the traditional major, Fox Lake Mayor Donny Schmidt prefers to work directly with and alongside his residents by lending an ear to their disputes or prioritizing his team’s focus on solving their problems. With a strong sense of his community’s needs, Donny enjoys building relationships with those around him. In short, it’s who he is as a person. A personable and engaging leader whose principles are aligned with that of his community.
Well before his third election as mayor, Donny has always served his community through volunteering. A selfless act that Donny believes to bring back more than one thinks. Having served various positions on numerous committees such as the Planning Commission Board; Lake County FORWARD Advisory Board; and the Religious Education Advisory Board, Donny has never stopped devoting his own personal time towards vast areas of his community. From coaching multiple sports teams to starting the St. Bede food pantry; Donny’s private interest, without a doubt, is to serve his community.
In fact, some of the greatest lessons he learned were from his time volunteering. The importance of building lasting connections with his community and learning about their needs. He believes that being in a position of local government never changed the way he ought to treat others. Instead, it gave him a stronger sense of obligation to give back to the Fox Lake community.
This is ultimately Donny’s goal as mayor: to develop the Fox Lake community as a lasting home for families to flourish in for many years. With his team working diligently on policy planning; their goals are designed to promote community events for family engagement, grow small businesses, and fund safe and serviceable road developments.
Lastly, in my conversation with Donny, there was one important word he wanted to share with his community which was gratitude. He would consider himself immodest if he did not sincerely thank and recognize the many people who have and continue to improve the Fox Lake community in whichever capacity they can. He truly believes they deserve nothing short of his highest praise. His local residents, neighbors, friends, and family. These are the very people who have carried him thus far and these are the same people he hopes to serve for as long as he can.
