Elected Officials

Anan Abu-Taleb was first elected to the Village of Oak Park's highest municipal public office in April 2013. A successful restaurateur, Abu-Taleb is a longtime village resident, and along with his wife Margi, has raised four children here. Anan was born in the Gaza Strip as the second-oldest of 13 children. He immigrated to the Chicago area at the age of 18 to attend college. He earned his undergraduate degree from University of Illinois - Chicago and his MBA from University of Chicago. Anan and his family own Maya Del Sol, a popular restaurant on Oak Park Avenue. His term expires in April 2021. To contact President Abu-Taleb, call 708.358.5797 or email mayoranan@oak-park.us.

Deno Andrews was elected to the Village Board in April 2017. A lifelong resident, Deno credits his father and mother for fueling his desire to pursue public service. His father owned a business in south Oak Park, and later in neighboring Berwyn. His mother, a stay-at-home mom, founded a non-profit organization for children with endocrine disorders. Deno is a graduate of Horace Mann Elementary School, Hawthorne Junior High (now Julian Middle School) and Oak Park and River Forest High School. He earned a business degree from DePaul University, later working in the biotechnology field and as a senior-level management consultant. A local business owner, he served six years on the Oak Park Board of Health, earning a Fitzsimmon’s Award for his work on public health. His term expires in April 2021. To contact Trustee Andrews, call 708.358.5788 or email trusteeandrews@oak-park.us.

Simone Boutet was elected to the Village Board in April 2017. Simone is a practicing attorney with 25 years of experience in local government law. She served as Oak Park’s Assistant Village attorney from 2001 to 2015 and was the Acting Village attorney from 2011 to 2013.  Simone is a member of the board of directors of Housing Forward, which helps transition individuals and families out of homelessness. She also provides volunteer legal services to the poor through the Pro Bono Network. Simone has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Marquette University and a law degree from DePaul University College of Law. Her term expires in April 2021. To contact Trustee Boutet, call 708.358.5787 or email trusteeboutet@oak-park.us.

Susan Buchanan, M.D., M.P.H, was elected to the Village Board in April 2019. Prior to her election, she served as a volunteer on the Village of Oak Park Board of Health. A medical doctor whose career began in family practice, she later became interested in public policy and pivoted to preventive medicine and public health. Susan has spent the last 15 years helping vulnerable workers by improving health and safety on the job, and has become an expert on the health effects of environmental pollutants. Board certified in both family and preventive medicine, she has directed the University of Illinois Chicago’s residency training program in occupational and environmental medicine.  Currently, she is an attending physician and clinical associate professor of occupational and environmental health sciences with UIC’s Health and Hospital System and School of Public Health. She also is the director of the Great Lakes Center for Children’s Environmental Health and a recent past member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee. To contact Trustee Buchanan, call 708.358.5791 or email TrusteeBuchanan@oak-park.us.

Dan Moroney was elected to the Village Board in April 2017. Born and raised in Oak Park, Moroney attended St. Giles School and Oak Park River and Forest High School. After earning a political science degree from the University of Dayton, he studied in Rome for a year, served with the Peace Corps in Poland and worked on Capitol Hill for former Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Returning to Oak Park in 1999, Dan became a real estate broker, buying, renovating and selling homes in Oak Park. He also founded Moroney Homes, LLC, which acquired rental property and built new construction projects. His civic involvement includes serving as a member of the Oak Park Historic Preservation Commission and treasurer of the Mann Elementary School PTO. He also has coached his children’s teams in soccer, baseball, softball, basketball and floor hockey. Dan and his wife, Amy, have two children, Ryan and Grace. His term expires in April 2021. To contact Trustee Moroney, call 708.358.5789 or email trusteemoroney@oak-park.us.

Jim Taglia was appointed to the Village Board in March 2017 to complete the term of former Trustee Adam Salzman, who resigned to pursue a professional opportunity that precluded serving in elected office. Prior to joining the Village Board, Jim was an Oak Park Township trustee, where he served on the Intergovernmental and Senior Services committees, as well as the Community Mental Health Board. Jim has a bachelor’s degree from Boston College and a master’s in business administration from Loyola University. He also is a certified public accountant. A lifelong resident of Oak Park, he attended St. Giles elementary school and is a graduate of Oak Park and River Forest High School. His term expires in April 2019. To contact Trustee Taglia, call 708.358.5794 or email trusteetaglia@oak-park.us.

Arti Walker-Peddakotla was elected to the Village Board in April 2019. Arti is a Senior Product Manager for a nonprofit tech company, a former microbiologist, and a U.S. Army veteran. Arti also advocates for immigrant and refugee rights with Veterans for American Ideals, a project of Human Rights First, and is a Defense Council member of Truman National Security Project. Arti moved to Oak Park in 2008 and lives with her husband, Sunil, and their three children. To contact Trustee Walker-Peddakotla, call 708.358.5792 or email TrusteeWalker-Peddakotla@oak-park.us.

Vicki Scaman was elected Village Clerk in April of 2017. Prior to beginning her four-year term on May 1, 2017, Vicki was the chair of the Liquor Control Review Board and program coordinator for an Illinois Department of Human Services grant at Oak Park Township. She also was the executive director of a local not-for-profit organization. Vicki has a long history of connecting residents with resources available through partner governmental agencies and community organizations. As Village Clerk, she is the keeper of official Village Board records and processes requests filed under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and special events permits. In addition, Vicki oversees the Village Board advisory commissions and serves as the liaison to the Citizens Involvement Commission (CIC). Her term expires in April 2021. To contact Clerk Scaman, call 708.358.5672 or email clerkscaman@oak-park.us.