Elected Officials

Meetings
When:     6:30pm
                 Second and Fourth Monday of each month
Where:   Board Room of the Burr Ridge Village Hall
                          7660 County Line Road, Burr Ridge, IL 60527
          Online:   Village YouTube Channel
          Cable:     Your local cable access channel
                           Comcast Ch. 6 and AT&T Ch. 99
                           Rebroadcast every day on the following week at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Agendas and Minutes
Agendas are available prior to the meetings. Minutes are available following approval at the subsequent meeting. These meetings, as well as the committee meetings held on the first and third Mondays at 6:00 p.m., are open to the public. Meeting agendas are subject to change and, from time to time, this includes a change in the time of the meeting.


Board of Trustees

Mayor Gary Grasso
Mayor-Grasso-2-200x300Mayor Gary Grasso
Term Expires: May 2025

Mayor Grasso has a long history of public service, serving two tenures as Mayor (2005-12; 2019-present) as well as two terms on the DuPage County Board (2012-18). While on the County Board, he served as Chairman of the 911 Emergency Telephone System Board and led efforts to build two state-of-the-art call centers. Mayor Grasso also previously served on the County Board of Health for 13 years. 
 
Prior to living in Burr Ridge, Gary served for several years on the Thomas Ford Library Board, and then on its foundation, while also being elected by parishioners to the St. John of Cross Parish Council and School Board. After moving to Burr Ridge in 1995, Gary served on the Village’s Environmental Quality Commission, was then elected as Trustee, and finally became Mayor in 2005.  
 
Mayor Grasso boasts a 40-year career as an attorney and litigator, representing clients in cases related to real estate, commercial transactions, and business reorganizations. His current practice focuses on attorney malpractice issues. Gary has been selected as one of Illinois’ Leading Lawyers three times. Gary has lived in Burr Ridge for almost 30 years and is married to former Trustee Janet Grasso, while also has six children and six grandchildren.

Email Mayor Grasso
Village Clerk Sue Schaus
Schaus-2-200x300Village Clerk Sue Schaus
Term ends: May 2025

Village Clerk Schaus was elected to office in 2020 after the former clerk, Karen Thomas, retired. 

Clerk Schaus is from Burr Ridge and has remained a resident for over 50 years. She joined the Burr Ridge Veterans Memorial Committee in 2019 and currently serves as the treasurer. Clerk Schaus also manages the Veterans Memorial Brick Program, which provides an opportunity to show support for veterans and create a personal, permanent commemorative brick honoring a family member, friend, or loved one.

Trustee Guy Franzese
Franzese-2-200x300

Trustee Guy Franzese
Term Expires: May 2025

Trustee Guy Franzese was first appointed to the Village Board in January of 2013. He was elected to the Board in 2013, 2017, and 2021. Prior to his service on the Board, he served on the Burr Ridge Plan Commission/Zoning Board of Appeals from 1997 to 2013. He is Chairman of the Stormwater Committee, the Environmental Quality Commission, and the Waste Hauler Franchise Agreement Committee. He serves on the Street Policy Committee and the Water Committee. He also serves as Mayor Pro-Tem.

Trustee Franzese has a B.S degree in Chemical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Business Administration. He is a Licensed Professional Engineer in Illinois and employed by a local engineering firm. He plays men’s ice hockey year-round and is an avid snow and water skier.

A resident of Burr Ridge for over 44 years, Trustee Franzese grew up in the Village and is a Pleasantdale D107 and Lyons Township D204 graduate. He raised his family here in Burr Ridge and is proud to call Burr Ridge “a very special place”. 

Email Trustee Franzese

Trustee Anita Mital
Mital-2-200x300Trustee Anita Mital
Term Expires: May 2025
Trustee Mital has served as a Trustee since 2017 and is the board liaison for special events planning and works closely with village staff. In 2020, Trustee Mital chaired the Complete Count Committee, playing a pivotal role in ensuring the 2020 Census counted all Burr Ridge residents. Trustee Mital enjoys serving as a Trustee. In her own words, "getting to know so many of our residents and businesses during this time has been the highlight of this position; it reinforces what I already knew:  our village is comprised of some of the most wonderful people and successful businesses." 

Trustee Mital volunteers as a board member for the Chicago Foundation for Women and serves as a committee member for the Western Suburbs Giving Circle. Both organizations help improve the lives of over 70,000 women, girls, transgender, and gender non-binary people in the western suburbs and greater Chicagoland area. 

Trustee Mital and her husband have lived in Burr Ridge for 26 years. She is a Certified Financial Planner and has been a substitute teacher with Gower School District. Trustee Mital's children have attended Gower Middle School and Hinsdale South High School.  

Email Trustee Mital
Trustee Albert "Al" Paveza
Paveza-2-200x300Trustee Al Paveza
Term Expires: May 2027

Trustee Paveza is a 35-year resident of Burr Ridge with a long history of public service. He has served as a trustee for over 20 years and has been elected by the board as mayor pro temp four times. Trustee Paveza also served as a Commissioner for Hawthrone Park District and was the Hawthorne Park District Board president for eight years.
 
Trustee Paveza became interested in the problems facing Burr Ridge soon after moving to the Village and ran for Trustee. He helped establish the Village's water source from Lake Michigan and defeat the creation of a MegaPlex Theater. Trustee Paveza also helped bring Highland Fields to Burr Ridge,  the Burr Ridge Police Station, and the Burr Ridge Village Center. Most importantly, he has helped Keep Burr Ridge "A Very Special Place." Trustee Paveza is passionate about the Village of Burr Ridge and will continue to stand up for what is best for the Village. 

Trustee Paveza is a retired CEO with a B.S. from DePaul University. He is also an active baseball player who has won the MSBL World Series and was elected to the MSBL Hall of Fame in 2012. Over the years, the Chicago area team won six Senior World Series Championships. He has five children and five grandchildren and has always been active with his family and community. He coached baseball and ice hockey for over ten years, served three years as a cub master, and three years as a boy scout leader.
Trustee Antonio "Tony" Schiappa

Schiappa-2-200x300Trustee Antonio Schiappa
Term Expires: May 2027

Trustee Schiappa has been a Burr Ridge resident for more than 30 years and is in his second term as Trustee. He serves as the chair of the Economic Development Committee and works on the Streets Policy Committee, Personnel Committee, and the Environmental Quality Committee. He is also the acting liquor commissioner.  

Trustee Schiappa's broad career expanded from investment brokerage to banking and ultimately to entrepreneurship.   He then went on to work in the banking industry by helping small to mid-size business owners achieve their financial goals. Trustee Schiappa recently started and operated two small businesses:  a print shop and a property management firm. After making the print shop operational and profitable, he eventually sold it to a strategic acquirer. Trustee Schiappa has also helped start and grow a non-profit organization that serves underprivileged Chicago residents by helping prepare their tax returns.

Trustee Schiappa's experience has allowed him to provide creative solutions to complex challenges. He is a seasoned executive with experience in sales, negotiation, and operations, as he has personally taken a company from inception to sale.

Trustee Schiappa is a father, husband, marathon runner, and voracious reader. He loves to read about the history of successful businesses and business executives.

Email Trustee Schiappa

Trustee Russell "Russ" Smith

Smith-2-200x300Trustee Russell Smith
Term Expires: May 2025

Trustee Smith was elected in 2021.  A resident of Burr Ridge for over 14 years, he ran for office out of concern for the economic welfare of the Village. Trustee Smith is an experienced financial advisor and holds a B.S. in Business Management.

Prior to running for office, in 2018, the Village recognized Trustee Smith for his  outstanding community service and support of the Village of Burr Ridge and its citizens and presented him with the "Community Appreciation Award." Trustee Smith is involved in the community through the Burr Ridge Veterans Memorial Committee, the Willowbrook/Burr Ridge Chamber of Commerce, the local Kiwanis chapter, and the Burr Ridge Community Church.

Email Trustee Smith

Trustee Joseph "Joe" Snyder
Snyder-2-200x300Trustee Joseph T. Snyder
Term Expires: May 2027

Trustee Snyder is a 30-year resident of Burr Ridge. A resident of the Lake Ridge Club subdivision, Trustee Snyder was elected to office in 2017. 

Joe Snyder is an innovative entrepreneur who believes in the time-honored tradition of treating every client as if he or she were his only client. A natural problem solver with a gift for strategic business planning, Joe established Snyder Insurance and Financial Services in 1979 and has built a solid record of achievement in every aspect of his chosen field.

From the very start, the company’s mission was and still is, to provide individuals, families, and businesses with quality insurance products and financial strategies backed by personalized service. In addition to individual and family accounts, Snyder Insurance and Financial Services also serve a diverse group of commercial clients, with policy lines suited to the unique requirements of their industries.

Licensed in many states in all lines of insurance, Joe has received numerous national achievement awards within the industry. He holds his securities license and is a Registered Representative.

Joe is actively involved/supports: Misericordia Heart of Mercy, H Foundation, and the American Cancer Society.