Our Elected Officials
Statewide Officials
Palatine Township Officials
Dan McConchie
State Senator for the 26th District
www.danmcconchie.com
Dan McConchie was elected by his peers to serve as the Illinois Senate Republican Leader in January 2021, and has served as State Senator for the 26th District since 2016.
Prior to his election as Leader, Dan served as a Caucus budget negotiator, advocating for responsible state spending and lower taxes. He currently serves on the Senate Executive and Redistricting committees. Throughout his tenure as a legislator, Dan has supported policies and legislation that promote job growth, smaller and smarter government, and ethics reforms to root out corruption. He was instrumental in negotiating an overhaul to the state’s school funding system to ensure more equity and state support to Illinois’ neediest schools.
He is a member of the Move Over Task Force that proposes ways to improve and protect law enforcement, other emergency responders and motorists who are stopped on the side of Illinois roads.
Dan joined the Army National Guard on his 17th birthday and served nine years in the infantry and military police. He spent 20 years working in public affairs for national advocacy groups, and two years as an Adjunct Professor at Trinity International University where he taught a graduate-level bioethics and public policy course.
He is currently an energy consultant with Verde Solutions, which provides solar and other alternative energy solutions for homes and businesses. He has a B.A. in Biblical Studies from Central Bible College, and graduated magna cum laude with an M.A. in Christian Thought with an Emphasis in Bioethics from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.
Dan and his wife, Milena, reside in Hawthorn Woods and have two adult daughters.
Illinois’ 26th Senate District is in the northwest Chicago suburbs and includes all or part of Algonquin, Barrington, Carpentersville, Cary, Crystal Lake, Deer Park, Fox River Grove, Green Oaks, Hawthorn Woods, Hoffman Estates, Island Lake, Kildeer, Lake in the Hills, Lake Zurich, Libertyville, Long Grove, Mundelein, Oakwood Hills and Vernon Hills.
Andy-John Kalkounos
Township Supervisor
www.facebook.com/AndyJohnPalatineSupervisor
Andy-John Kalkounos was raised in Palatine Township and still resides there with his wife, who is an elementary school teacher & their two young children who attend District 15 schools. He was educated at Marion Jordan Elementary School, Plum Grove Junior High, Fremd High School, Harper College and Butler University where he earned his business degree. In 2016, he was elected a Trustee of Palatine Township and is now seeking to expand his commitment as Township Supervisor.
Andy-John is a small business owner/advocate who operates several family-owned, local fine-dining establishments and employs more than 100 hospitality professionals. He also maintains his real estate license as a managing broker. Andy-John is a SAG/AFTRA Union actor with guest-star roles in such NBC/FOX dramas as Chicago Fire & Proven Innocent.
Previously, he served multiple terms on both the Harper College Foundation Board and as Chairman for Meet Chicago Northwest Convention & Visitors Bureau. Andy-John currently serves on the Village of Schaumburg Business Development Commission. He has been recognized as a “Distinguished Alumni” of Harper College and recently received the “Entrepreneurial Excellence Award” presented by the Daily Herald Business Ledger. Andy-John looks forward to continuing to serve Palatine Township with a pragmatic, servant-leader approach.
Aaron Del Mar
Highway Commissioner
Aaron Del Mar has been the Palatine Township Highway Commissioner since 2016. Born and raised in Palatine, Aaron began in public service when he was the youngest and first minority elected to serve on the Palatine Village Council in 2009. In 2012, he was elected Cook County Republican Chairman, a position he held for two terms. Nationally, Aaron represented Illinois in the 2012 Electoral College and in 2016 and 2020 as a delegate to the Republican National Convention.
Aaron earned a bachelor's degree in Public Management from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs and an MBA Essentials Certificate from the University of Illinois-Champaign Giese School of Business. In 2017, he was appointed by former Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner to serve on the Illinois International Port Authority. In 2019, Crain’s Chicago Business Journal featured Aaron as a Notable Entrepreneur for his work developing his company Adrenaline Special Events, which produces sporting events nationally.
Aaron represented the United States at the 2000 University World Championships and was a resident athlete at The Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He enjoys learning languages, traveling and most of all, spending time with his family.
Lisa Moran
Township Clerk
www.palatineunitedrepublicans.com
Lisa Moran has been happily married to her husband, Tony, for 27 years. They have enjoyed living and raising their family in Palatine for the last 19 years. They have two grown children: Brittany, a fourth grade teacher, and Timothy, a junior at Notre Dame majoring in computer science.
Lisa earned her diploma in Dental Assistance. She has worked in the field for more than 34 years, currently as a Certified Clinical Assistant and OSHA Compliance Manager at a local practice for 22 years. She recently served 11 years on the Board of SALUTE, INC., a local non-profit supporting military families. She is an active parishioner of St. Theresa Catholic Church in Palatine, and enjoys traveling with her family, baking and scrap booking.
Lisa was elected to the Palatine Township Board in 2005 as a Trustee and re-elected as Clerk three times since 2009. She is most proud of the Blue Star Banner Program she developed and directs, which honors military families living in the Township. She also developed a Transparency Initiative, which allows for informed residents and accountable Township government. Her duties as Clerk include preparing and maintaining accurate board meeting minutes, Chief Freedom of Information Officer, Road District Clerk and the Local Election Authority.
John Freese
Township Trustee
I am a Rolling Meadows resident who has lived in Palatine Township for 52 years. I attended Forest View High School, Harper Community College and Northwestern University's Police Staff and Command. I have dedicated over 34 years to public service, all with the Rolling Meadows Police Department. I retired at the rank of Sergeant and currently serve on the Rolling Meadows Police Pension Board.
During my carear, I was a Field Training Officer, Treasurer of the Rolling Meadows Police Association, Recruit Supervisor at the Illinois State Police Academy and Department Quartermaster.
Leslie Bolanos
Township Trustee
www.palatineunitedrepublicans.com
Leslie Bolanos has lived in Palatine Township since 1992 and graduated from Fremd High School. She now resides in Inverness with her husband, Craig, a Palatine native. She has two boys: Conner, a sophomore at Hillsdale College, and Gavin, a senior at Fremd High School.
Leslie earned a finance degree from Illinois State University. In 2003, she and her husband founded Wealth Management Group (WMG) LLC, a wealth advisory firm located in Inverness. She serves as Chief Operating Officer at WMG where she is responsible for the firm’s short and long-term strategic goals. Leslie is also the cohost of a weekly radio show, In the Know with Wealth Management Group, that airs on Salem Communications and is broadcast in the Chicago market on AM560 The Answer.
Leslie has served on the Board of the District 211 Chiefs Hockey Club as Secretary and has been Varsity Team Manager for the past three seasons. She has demonstrated her fundraising ability by successfully chairing the annual Gala for Holy Family Catholic Academy in 2010. Leslie is also a parishioner of Holy Family Catholic Church and is passionate about Holy Family Catholic Academy’s mission of raising children who are leaders and thinkers grounded in faith.
Mike Smolka
Township Trustee
www.palatineunitedrepublicans.com
Mike Smolka has been a Palatine Township resident for 26 years and attended Fremd High School. He has two children and currently resides in Palatine. Mike earned his undergraduate degree from Chicago State University, his MBA from Roosevelt University and then his law degree from John Marshall Law School.
Mike is the owner and principal attorney of Smolka Law Group, based in Palatine, focusing his practice in the area of family law. A baseball player in college, Mike continues to be active as a runner, completing the Chicago Marathon and setting his sights on his first half-ironman triathlon. As a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, baseball continues to be a part of Mike's life as he serves on the board of Palatine Community Baseball and Softball (PCBS). He teaches and coaches the game to children throughout Palatine as the committee chair of PCBS’ training and development program.
Mike was a member of the Board of Community Consolidated School District 15 from 2017-2021. He looks forward to continuing to serve the Township in his new role as Trustee.
Bill Pohlman
Township Assessor
www.palatineunitedrepublicans.com
Bill has lived in Palatine since 1976 and has spent 40 years working in communications. He has worked at AP Ltd for 35 years, an advertising and internet development firm, and has been a partner since 1994. He specializes in Palatine public relations.
In 2013, Bill was elected as a Trustee for Palatine Township. As a Trustee, he assists in budget development and financial stability. He chairs the Human Needs, Website and Newsletter committees. In 2016, he was awarded the Patriot Award by the Township for his years of service in the community. He has been a Jaycee since 1991 and a Lifetime Member since 2006. Bill has been a Son of the American Legion for 9 years and has co-chaired the Memorial Day program since 2011. He is also the Outreach Coordinator for the Palatine Township Republican Organization, co-chaired the wine booth at StreetFest and has acted as a committee member for Palatine’s St. Patrick’s Day festival since 2010.