Meet the Elgin Township Democrats

My name is Cherryl Fritz Strathmann. I have been an Elgin resident since I was a small child. I raised my kids here as well. I have always been active and engaged in the community. It started with things with my kids, PTA member. Girl Scout leader, Citizen Advisory Board for U-46 schools.

I became a small business owner in 1996, and semi retired in the fall of 2018. I have been a docent for the Kane County Forest Preserve District and am currently a volunteer with the Master Gardeners through the University of Illinois Extension.

My first real political involvement was with Equal Rights Amendment. It was there I learned about the political process of writing to our elected leaders, signing petitions and Non-violent demonstrations. I started working on the presidential campaign in 2008, writing letters and postcards, and knocking on doors in 4 states.

It was after the re-election of President Obama, that I came to realize the importance of local politics. Like many of us I have knocked on doors, passed petitions, and campaigned for the candidates that are our friends and neighbors, who work hard to serve our communities.

I never entertained the idea that one day I would be one of those candidates. But here I am, running for a seat on the County Board, District 20. Kane County has a geographic area that is about half the size of the state of Rhode Island and a bigger population than the whole state of Wyoming. The policies and decisions of the County Board affect all of us in our daily lives. I look forward to being a part of that process to work for the betterment of our residents.

Hello, my name is Winfried Cordell Cooper and I’m currently the Sergeant at Arms for the Elgin Township Democrats.

I became a resident in Elgin in 2006 as a student of Elgin High. After i graduated a year later I attended Elgin Community College where i wanted to know how to help people. I decided to take time off to get more hands on experience, so i successfully joined the Elgin Image Commission followed by the Elgin Human Relations Commission.

Feeling I can be more effective than a few meetings each month, I decided to join the Elgin Township Democrats and become more active as a leader in a role as the precinct committee person in the 11 precinct.

While sticking to my motto “Voting is an Investment” I have been making positive changes in my neighborhood. As Sergeant at Arms it is my job to defend and protect the party so I could help countless candidates across the county.

I’m Frank F. Imhoff. I was raised on the South Side of Chicago and studied to be a Lutheran minister. I became interested in religious broadcasting and, after seminary, worked more than 30 years in broadcast journalism, including 20 years with the News Service of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. I retired at the end of 2018 as manager for official documentation of the ELCA. Mary Ann and I have four sons, four grandchildren and one great-grandson.

My earliest involvement in politics was with the 1960 election, when I was eight. Politics and government continued to fascinate me, but, as a journalist, I kept my political views to myself. When I moved to Elgin, I educated myself on the candidates running for local office. My views — that government was meant to grow the options available for all residents to support themselves and their families — were most often reflected by Democratic nominees.

I attended meetings of Elgin Township Democrats and became an elected Precinct Committeeperson. I learned what was expected of a Committeeperson and threw myself into the work. I was elected twice as Chair of Elgin Township Democrats (2010-2014) and have remained active in the organization as an appointed Committeeperson, working on revisions of the bylaws and now serving as Parliamentarian.

Greeting Democrats!

I am a long time Democrat who grew up in Evanston, IL. After getting married, I lived briefly in Long Beach and San Diego California. I moved to Kane County in 1970, first in Carpentersville, then to Elgin in 1992. After living in Carpentersville little boxes, I longed to have a unique home which is the reason we picked Elgin. Each home has a different personality.  I have two children, 3 stepchildren, 13 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. I retired from Zurich Insurance US Headquarters located in Schaumburg, Ill after a 30-year career as Technical Support. My husband and I love to hook up our Travel Trailer and explore the United States.

I worked on my first campaign in 1994 and have been involved in local elections ever since. I am the elected Precinct Committeeperson for Precinct 44. The boundaries are Route 20 to the South, Erie St to the North, Wilcox to the East, and  Edison to the West. Precinct committee person collect enough signatures for candidates to get their name on the ballot. Give out candidate info to the voters and most important get our residents out to vote. I find it fun to go out and knock on doors in my Precinct and talk  my neighbors.

I am also the Treasurer for the Elgin Township Democrats (ETD). The job requires ETD financials to be reported monthly to the local organization and quarterly to Illinois State Board of Election and Kane County. I also oversee the fundraising events for the Elgin Township Democrats. 

As a democrat, I support a strong global present, but also a country that’s cares about those that have the least. Not to give a hand out, but a hand out to pull them up which means a living wage, access to education and affordable healthcare. Also, I believe in policies that support our healthy plant.

Hello, I’m Mike Rende and I have been an Elgin resident for over 20 years. I moved my family here while I was managing the Barnes & Noble in Schaumburg. Elgin seemed like the perfect city to settle in because of its rich heritage and diverse culture. My wife and I currently live in a lovely house built in 1928 on the near West side of town in Elgin Precinct 27. Yes, I am a voracious reader, as you would expect a former bookstore manager to be. Our house is packed with books.

I joined the Elgin Township Democrats (ETD) during the 2016 election while I was volunteering for the Bernie Sander’s campaign. Having found many like-minded people in the ETD, I’ve stayed on and have strived to help local Democratic candidates up and down the ballot. I currently serve as both the Vice Chair and as the elected Precinct Committee Person for my home precinct, 27.

I’d always considered myself a conscientious, independent voter who looked at candidates policies and voting history before concerning myself with party affiliation. Unfortunately the rightward slide of the Republican Party over the last decade has left it with a platform based on fear that now opposes many of the issues that are important to me. Climate Change, Healthcare, Education, Getting Money Out of Politics, Free Speech, and Digital Rights are just a few of the issues I am passionate about.

I am a small business owner. My day job is building websites for many diverse organizations and businesses. I’ve been running my business, sitebyMIKE, since 1999. In addition to all my commercial clients, I’ve been happy to partner with Wolko Design Group to provide quality web design and development for many local Elgin Non-profits including the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, and Chamber Music on the Fox, Well Child Center… and of course I built the Elgin Township Democrats website (plus some for our wonderful local democratic candidates).

I’m also an artist and one of the founding members of Oddball Art Labs, a collection of eclectic artists residing in the Chicagoland area. Historically we organize one large, quirky themed art show every Summer. A portion of the proceeds from this show are then donated to a local charity. Our shows bring 200-300 people to downtown Elgin and is our contribution to help spotlight Elgin as a city of the arts. (Sadly, our 2020 show has been pushed to 2021 due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.) 🙁

Have you ever seen the Mobile Art Machine in downtown Elgin? That’s another Oddball attraction. We took a vintage 1950’s cigarette machine and converted it to sell tiny pieces or artwork created by local artists. The machine is on wheels, so it roams between Elgin businesses on a monthly basis. It provides art patrons an affordable and fun source of art, local artists a playful outlet for their work, and gives the hosting Elgin businesses something fun to promote.

Join the Elgin Township Democrats and meet a lot of interesting people who each in their own way are helping to make Elgin a better place to live for everyone. Together we can make a positive difference in our community.

Let me introduce myself to Elgin

As many know we are the new elected officers to Elgin Township Democrats (ETD). I am Carl Strathmann Chair for ETD.

I am a native to the state.  Born in Chicago, grew up in Elmwood Park, graduated from Elmwood Park High School, and Devry Tech. I went to college and am just short of a degree in Supervision and Management. I was drafted to serve in the Army as a medic. I retired early from 30 years at Illinois Bell, which became AT&T, that bought National Cash Register. As an early retiree I started RECON INC. a business rehabbing, and remodeling houses. I am semi-retired and have been elected as a Precinct Committee person and as Chair person to ETD. I have been reelected and am in my 3^rd term as ETD Chair.

My wife Cherryl and I were married in 2007. Thanks to Cherryl’s passion for politics we began to focus on the election of Barack Obama’s first campaign, knocking on doors and running phone banks from our home. That initial foray and subsequent service as a precinct committee person for the Elgin Township Democratic Party brought me to where I am today, working for the Democrats and other citizens of Elgin Township. I belief that being part of an active community makes life better for everyone. One of my favorite quotes is: “If everyone lifts a little, no one lifts a lot.” Come join us and be part of a group that can make a difference in Elgin, Illinois, and the USA.