WILL COUNTY BOARD: ELNALYN COSTA - DISTRICT 11
BIO:
Elnalyn “El” Costa is a 15-year Filipino-American resident of Bolingbrook. She is an active member of the local community, serving presently as the IDWOW Treasurer and DuPage Township Precinct Captain for Precinct 4.
Elnalyn obtained her Bachelor of Science in Health Care Leadership at National-Louis University. As the Fund Administrator of the SEIU Healthcare Illinois Benefit Funds located in Chicago, she leads a team that serves 20,000 frontline healthcare and child care workers across the state of Illinois. Her professional career focuses on addressing socio-economic issues through a social justice lens, using her collaborative leadership style and problem-solving reputation to improve processes and make responsible fiscal decisions that results in better quality of life outcomes for those she serves. Under her administration, essential workers are provided access to quality healthcare benefits and a pension. She will translate her professional skills and leadership to serve Will County.
As a working mother of three children, her motivation to serve starts in the home and is driven by core family values of hard work, integrity, inclusivity and service. In 2022, Elnalyn is running for the newly drawn Will County Board, District 11, aiming to provide effective and inspiring leadership and representation to Bolingbrook and Will County.
Why are you running for office?
My professional career has been driven by and dedicated to social justice, and finding opportunities and solutions to ensure the allocation of resources are done so equitably and responsibly for long-term, sustainable outcomes. I’m proud to serve union workers in the work I do with SEIU Healthcare Illinois Benefit Funds. I’m eager to serve the constituents of Will County to ensure county resources are fairly distributed, and to learn and make informed decisions about the needs of my district and the county at large.
As a County Board member, I will translate and integrate my professional skills, life experience, and values to serve the community with care and compassion, using my collaborative leadership style and problem-solving reputation to improve processes and make responsible fiscal decisions that results in better quality of life outcomes for Will County residents.
I believe that District 11 is ready for emergent leadership, making way for the fresh energy, new perspectives, and diversity in thought and experience that I will contribute to shape the future of Will County. I am running for Will County Board to take my leadership abilities and serve my community locally, in Bolingbrook and across the county.
What do you see as the role of Young People in our communities and our Party?
Young People bring vibrancy, hope and life to our communities. As a community we must care for and prepare our youth to uphold our shared values as Democrats. Our youth are the future leaders of our local communities and the Democratic Party.
Young People bring creative ideas and innovation, spearheading the digital age with new ways of communicating and raising awareness about the political and societal issues and movements of our times. In the face of opposition to our democratic values, young people bring steely determination and emphatic energy.
The Youth Vote is very important to ensure Democrats are elected up and down the ballot. The growing civic and political engagement of young people encourages more young people to participate in the democratic process. This will help to increase voter registration, raise young voter turnout and build a bench of young leaders who will run for office. Young People are the next generation of advocates, grassroots organizers and policy makers that will guide the Democratic Party and our local governments forward.
If elected to office, what will you do to elevate the voices and concerns of Young People?
I have a unique background that will allow me to elevate the voices and concerns of Young People. I stand with Young People because I am a young leader. I raised a child at a young age, making me acutely aware of the needs of both our children and young adults today. I know the importance and benefit of having others advocate on your behalf, and plan to pay that forward if elected into office. I vibe with the progressive positions that Young People care about, and I have reputable life and professional experience with making wise and responsible decisions.
Acceptance of diverse viewpoints, including our youth’s, is fundamental to a well-functioning democracy and inclusive society. There is a Diversity & Inclusion Committee on the County Board, and I would like to see this committee do more to amplify the voices of underrepresented sectors of the county and address issues raised by Young People and historically marginalized groups. I will engage young constituents to have a platform to be heard and ensure their interests and ideas are represented, on the county board and also on the forest preserve board.
As an elected county board member, I take seriously the role to be a responsible stewardship of county resources. It’s important to me that the decisions made today are not short-sighted but sustainable for our future and the communities our youth will enjoy and inherit.
Why are you proud to be a member of the Democratic Party?
Democrats are leaders who fight for equality, justice, and opportunity for all. I am proud to be a member the political party that prioritizes collectivism, responsibility for the community and the environment, civil rights and workers rights.
