Bobby

How long have you lived in North Chicago, and what brought you here?

I've been in North Chicago forty-nine years. I moved here from Monticello, Arkansas. I first came as a high school student, to visit, staying with my sister and brother-in-law. I came to work so I could buy some school clothes and get all my school supplies. People were so friendly, and so nice. That made me want to come back and be a part of this community. I came back the next year and I loved it so well, I just stayed.

I had one sister here and six down in Arkansas, but I could see there was opportunity here to better my life. The opportunity to work, and have a better job where I can have growth. I wanted the American Dream, like everybody else. I wanted a wife, I wanted kids, and to put my family here– and that's what I did.

I got a job Johns Manville as production worker. A friend of mine said, "Why don't you get into maintenance?” So, I went to school to learn how to weld and cut– to help me improve and get a better paying job. That was 1974. I became a maintenance man, and was for 20 years. And then I got accepted on supervisor job. I was there for another five years, and then the plant closed down.

While working at Johns Manville I'd met some guys there who worked out and I thought, "I want a body like that," so I started working out with them. When Johns Manville closed down, I went back to school to become a personal trainer and started working in a gym. In 1997, I left that gym, opened up my own gym, and had that for 11 years until the economy turned bad.

Meanwhile, I became a North Chicago alderman. Three years before I closed my gym, I built a garage behind my house and I wanted to build a driveway to it. My alderman, she wouldn't support me. I thought, "Well, I'm gonna run against her." I started going to city council meetings. For one year, every Monday night, just to see how they operate and how things go. One year later, I ran against my alderman. And I tell everybody: every vote counts. I won that election 124 votes to 123. And now I've been the 4th Ward Alderman for 14 years.

Elected by just one vote!?

[laughter] They counted those votes twice.

When I'm running for election, people ask how it's coming along. I say, "I know I got two votes. If I only get one, that means my wife didn't vote for me!"

Tell me about something or someone that changed who you are, or made you the person you are today.

That would be my mom. She was my mentor. I've met some good friends up here. People that really changed my life– teaching me about saving money and what it takes to become a man. Teaching me about opportunities, and how you take experience and take it next level.

But my mom, she raised us eight kids without a daddy. He died when I was five years old, so it was tough. When I meet someone raised with a single mom, I let them know; hey, we can make it. You just don't give up. You keep trying. Keep fighting.

And that's what we did. I'm still proud of my mom today for what she did for me. She raised us all up and kept us focused. "You just keep on working hard and get a good education. Nobody can take that away from you." That's something you can have. That's why I went to those night classes and got some more schooling– to learn how I can better myself. So that when I got a family, I could take care of my family.

That's sound advice. What's the worst advice you ever received?

The worst advice I ever got was: “You can't do this.” You can't do it. It’ll never happen. I remember when I was getting ready to run for the alderman's seat. They said, "Bobby, you can't be that woman. She's the incumbent."

When people tell me that I can't– that's when I work. When I became a supervisor at Johns Manville, a lot of guys said "he won't make it." I used to go in at midnight, trying to figure out how to work this computer, how to do this and that– because I wanted be successful. People are saying I'm not gonna make it, so I'm gonna prove them wrong. And when you run into those challenges and don't make it? You don't quit. You keep on trying.

Beginning with relocating from Arkansas as young man, you've made a real effort to educate and reinvent yourself multiple times. What's the last thing you learned?

Becoming an alderman, I have learned a lot. It's taught me how to help people. I learned that I had to learn all that stuff. How to lead, and bring people up to another level. To help them be better than where they are. I'm still learning every day. I thank God for the opportunity and chance to let me help people in this community.

What do you see for North Chicago's future?

We want to see North Chicago grow. And we want people to know that. It's kind of like turning a battle ship, right? It doesn't just turn like you do a car. Everybody's gotta be on board. You gotta have the captain. He's calling out to this guy, that guy, the guy in the engine room. And as it turns, it takes time. It may take years, but it's turning slowly, and we're going in the right direction.

This is a community of love, and it takes all of us to make a difference.

That seems like a message for people who live in and around the community. What about someone who doesn't know much if anything about North Chicago?

I say "Welcome home." This is the place to be to raise your family and enjoy life to the fullest.

This conversation has been edited and condensed.