Howard Roin, 67, made his career as a lawyer specializing in civil trial and appellate law in downtown Chicago before retiring in May of 2020 (but for one last ongoing case in which he is serving as “Senior Counsel”). He has served Glencoe in various roles over the years including two four-year terms on the Village board (1985-1993) and the Glencoe Caucus. Upon being elected in April as village president, he stepped down as chair of the from the Glencoe Zoning Board. He is married to Judy Roin, a yoga instructor, with whom he has three adult, married children, Kate, Ben and Andrew, several grandchildren, with one on the way. As he prepared to be sworn in late May, Roin answered a few questions for us.
What are your top priorities for your town as you start in your new role as mayor?
The top priorities are to maintain and improve Glencoe’s infrastructure, continue to provide high quality services to our residents, and maintain the village’s superb work force. In Glencoe, the village’s officers, staff, and employees are public servants, and our priority is to help and serve the residents.
What’s something great about your town that people who don’t live there might not know about?
Glencoe is a Jewel on the Northshore. We welcome and believe we offer something for everyone. From east to west, we have a beautiful public beach on Lake Michigan; a small but vibrant downtown (“uptown” to many residents) with excellent restaurants and shops; the world-class Writers Theatre; many lovely child-friendly parks; the Green Bay Trail to the east and the start of the Cook County Forest Preserve’s North Branch Bicycle Trail to the west; superb schools; a top-notch public 18-hole golf course; and just outside the west border of the village, the Chicago Botanic Garden.
If you had a whole day to spend in your town and the weather was perfect, where would you go and what would you do?
See my answer immediately above. Visiting those places would be a lovely way to spend the day, from morning to night.
Who is someone in your town who inspires you and why?
The Glencoe Historical Society has a “Glencoe Hall of Fame” with a long list of Glencoe women and men who made important contributions to our village, state, and country, all of whom are inspiring and some of whom I know or knew. I wish I had known Harold Ramis, the enormously creative writer, director, and actor who died too young, but still is making us laugh and think.
What is your favorite charitable cause or causes?
The Village of Glencoe.
What do you want the residents of your town to know about you as you step into your new role?
I grew up in Glencoe, went to the Glencoe schools, and have lived here for most of my life. My wife Judy and I raised our three children in Glencoe, and my daughter and her family moved back here. I’m interested in Glencoe now and for the future. Glencoe is a great place to live, and working with the village trustees and our excellent staff, I will do everything I can to keep it that way. I believe the village government is here to serve village residents.
What is a fun little-known fact about you?
Most people who know me know that I was a trial and appellate lawyer for about 40 years, but few know that before moving back to Glencoe I started my career in Washington, D.C., by serving as a Special Assistant to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Judge William Webster).
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Amanda Marrazzo lives in the northwest Chicago suburb of Algonquin. She has been a news reporter for 25 years, including 17 years writing for the Chicago Tribune. She is married with two adult daughters and two dogs.
