Mt. Vernon Mayor John Lewis has been elected president of the Illinois Municipal League.
Lewis was unanimously selected for a one-year term during the organization’s 113th Annual Conference in Chicago. He has served as an IML vice president since 2019 and becomes the first president of the organization whose father also held the position.
Lewis said he plans to take a collaborative approach while strengthening the collective voice of municipalities across Illinois and ensuring local leaders have a reliable partner in the League.
Lewis has served as mayor of Mt. Vernon since 2017. Before entering the mayor’s office, he spent 25 years with the Illinois State Police, serving in patrol, drug enforcement and criminal investigations before retiring as a Master Sergeant. He has also founded several businesses and has been active in community service.
Peoria Mayor Rita Ali was elected the League’s First Vice President, while Cary Mayor Mark Kownick was selected as Second Vice President.