The fight for clean water is central to Vice President Patricia Theresa Flynn’s mission at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD). As a public servant, Flynn has demonstrated a range of skills as an elected trustee for the village of Crestwood. She worked to promote fiscal responsibility with an annual balanced budget, developed effective policy and procedures for the village, and chaired both the village’s Finance and Water/Sewer departments.

In 2011, Vice President Flynn made history as the first woman elected to the Crestwood Board of Trustees when she became motivated to get involved during a major public health crisis in Crestwood that put her and dozens of other families at risk. Residents had unknowingly consumed water contaminated with vinyl chloride, as the village had been mixing water from a tainted well with Lake Michigan water. The scandal led to twenty-two felony charges against former village officials and over fifteen-million dollars in litigation costs. Flynn’s election marked the start of a renewed push for clean water, transparent governance, and community restoration.

As trustee, Vice President Flynn partnered with the MWRD and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on flood mitigation within Crestwood. Protecting waterways and mitigating flooding are core to the MWRD’s mission, and both have remained key priorities for Flynn in her public service. Prior to running for local office, Flynn was an employee of the MWRD, working in both Pollution Control and in the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant laboratory.

Vice President Flynn currently sits on Illinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza’s Advisory Council, is a member of the Southwest Conference of Mayors, and is an Illinois Municipal League member. Demonstrating a strong commitment to community engagement, Flynn has founded a community arts council, co-chaired fine art fairs, chaired local blood drives, contributed to the monthly village newsletter, and implemented a veteran’s banner program to publicly honor servicemen and women. Flynn and the Board of Trustees initiated a no-cost sports program to all Crestwood children, encouraging physical activity without financial burden to families.

Vice President Flynn is a former director of and serves as a lifelong volunteer at Chicago Gaelic Park, focused on the preservation of Irish culture and sport. She has organized community breast cancer walks and has participated in the Chicago Polar Plunge supporting the Chicago Special Olympics. Flynn lives with her family in Crestwood.

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