City Council
The Council meets first Monday and the third Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 220 E. Deerpath. View Agendas and Minutes.
The Mayor and City Council oversee the City Manager, the City's Chief Administrative Officer. The City Manager oversees the City Clerk, the Director of Community Development, the Director of Finance, the Director of Innovation and Technology, the Fire Chief, the Police Chief, the Director of Human Resources, the Director of Parks and Recreation, the Director of Public Works, the Assistant City Manager and the Communications Manager.
Regular City Council meetings are broadcast LIVE on City 17. You may watch a meeting live on Comcast Channel 17 or on AT&T U-Verse, Channel 99 (scroll to "Lake Forest").
DVD copies of meeting are available in the Reference Section at Lake Forest Library. City Council meeting video archives can be viewed on-line after the meeting.
- The City of Lake Forest Decision-Making Parameters
- City Council and Staff Principles
- Rules Concerning Public Comment and Participation
- Resolution Adopting Principles and Rules
The City of Lake Forest Mission Statement"Be the best-managed, fiscally-responsible and appealing community and promote a community spirit of trust, respect and citizen involvement."
| Name | Position | Address | Telephone | |
| George A. Pandaleon | Mayor | 606 Timber Lane | 847.373.9857 | pandaleong@cityoflakeforest.com |
| Nancy P. Novit | First Ward Alderman | 55 Washington Circle | 847.615.7029 | novitn@cityoflakeforest.com |
| James E. Morris ("Jed") | First Ward Alderman | 882 Church Road | 224.330.9593 | morrisj@cityoflakeforest.com |
| Melanie K. Rummel | Second Ward Alderman | 595 E. Longwood Drive | 847.514.7909 | rummelm@cityoflakeforest.com |
| Edward ("Ted") U. Notz, Jr. | Second Ward Alderman | 44 E. Stone Avenue | 847.830.6689 | notze@cityoflakeforest.com |
| Jim Preschlack | Third Ward Alderman | 1760 N. Knollwood Lane | 847.234.1950 | preschlack@cityoflakeforest.com |
| Ara Goshgarian | Third Ward Alderman | 1046 N. Cahill Lane | 847.494.8766 | goshgariana@cityoflakeforest.com |
| Raymond P. Buschmann | Fourth Ward Alderman | 1491 Harlan Lane | 847.615.2572 | buschmannr@cityoflakeforest.com |
| Eileen Looby Weber | Fourth Ward Alderman | 1053 Old Barn Lane | 847.489.9894 | webere@cityoflakeforest.com |
Mayor George A. Pandaleon was sworn into office as Mayor on Monday, May 20, 2019. Mr. Pandaleon earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kenyon College. He is a former board member of the National Association of Real Estate Investment managers. He is also an active member of the Pension Real Estate Association, the International Council of Shopping Center, the Urban Land Institute, and holds a FINRA Series 65 securities license. Mr. Pandaleon has served The City of Lake Forest in numerous appointed and elected roles for more than 25 years. From May, 2011-April, 2017, he was an Alderman and Chairman of the Lake Forest City Council Finance Committee. He recently received the Lawrence J. Temple Community Service Award, the highest civic honor bestowed on Lake Forest citizens. George is currently the liaison for intergovernmental affairs, public safety and the City-Lake Forest Founders Council, and is the Chairman of the Personnel, Compensation & Administration Committee.
James E. "Jed" Morris is a long-time resident of the First Ward, having moved to Lake Forest in 1975 with his wife Kate. He is a former partner with Ernst & Young in its consulting division. He also has been part of several successful startup ventures in the technology and health care fields. Most recently, he retired from Walgreen's in 2013 after it purchased the specialty pharmacy venture that he and his associates started in 2003. He attended Northwestern University where he earned a BA degree. Following his graduation, he served as an officer in the U.S. Navy. He returned to Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management where he earned an MBA in Finance and Accounting. He joined the accounting firm of Arthur Young & Co. as a CPA in its auditing and accounting practice. He went on to lead its public sector consulting practice until the merger with Ernst & Whinney. From there, he went on to help form Whitman Hart, a successful national technology consulting firm, and then to form Medmark, a specialty pharmacy company. He served on Gorton Community Center's Executive Committee and as head of its Finance Committee. Prior to that, he served on the City of Lake Forest Plan Commission. He and Kate raised two children in Lake Forest, and both children returned to Lake Forest, where each are now raising their own children. Jed is currently the liaison to Senior Services and is Chairman of the City Council Finance Committee. He also serves on the Personnel, Compensation & Administration Committee, the Audit Committee and the City-Lake Forest College Founders Council.
Nancy P. Novit moved to Lake Forest 30 years ago with her husband Kent, a former Alderman, and two daughters. She graduated from St. Lawrence University with a BA in Political Science and received a JD from University of Illinois Chicago Law School. A former Cook County Assistant Public Defender, Nancy has continued to practice law, now specializing in real estate transactions and corporate organization. Upon moving to Lake Forest, she became an active community volunteer, serving with the Sheridan School and Deer Path Middle School APTs, chairing numerous events for the Lake Forest Open Lands Associate Board and the Lake Forest Infant Welfare Society and Ragdale. Nancy was a Deacon at the First Presbyterian Church, and a Board Member for the History Center of Lake Forest/Lake Bluff and the League of Women Voters of Lake Forest/Lake Bluff. Nancy also volunteered when the Gorton Community Center went through a restructuring phase in 2010. Nancy recently completed a 5 year term on the Zoning Board of Appeals before joining the City Council in July 2022.
Melanie K. Rummel, a lifelong resident of Lake Forest, was educated in Lake Forest's public schools, graduated from Northwestern University with a BA and Loyola University College of Law with her JD with distinction. She has practiced law for 38 years and currently practices with the Lake Forest law firm of Lesser, Lutrey, Pasquesi & Howe. She has lectured and authored chapters in professional publications, was recently an adjunct professor of law and is immediate past President of the Lake County Bar Foundation. She and her husband Mike, a former Mayor of Lake Forest, have a son and daughter. Both of their children attended the School of St. Mary, the Lake Forest public schools and graduated from Lake Forest High School. She has been a tireless volunteer for the community serving as Chairman of the Board of Lake Forest Open Lands Association, President of the Lake Forest School Board-District 67, President of the Women's Board of Catholic Charities for Lake Forest, Vice President of the LF-LB League of Women Voters, and as an active member of the Gorton Community Center Board, the Ragdale Women's Board, and the Lake Forest YWCA. She also served on the City's Cable Commission, its Strategic Planning Committee and its Sustainability Committee. She was President of the Weinberg College of Arts and Science Alumni Board at Northwestern and President of her sorority's local alumni chapter. As President of the LF-LB Volunteer Bureau, she, alongside many dedicated mothers and fathers, was responsible for the founding of the Lake Forest Children's Drop-In Center at Gorton, a factor which contributed to her being recognized by North Shore magazine as one of the top volunteers on the North Shore. Melanie is currently the Chairman of the Environmental Sustainability Committee. 
Edward "Ted" U. Notz, Jr. took office on October 7, 2019. He attended Lake Forest public schools from Kingergarten through high school and returned to Lake Forest with his family in 1998. He graduated with a BA in Political Science from Denison University and received his MBA from DePaul University. He served six years on the Building Review Board, including four years as Chair, and five years on the Zoning Board of Appeals. He currently serves on the board of the Lake County Community Foundation, is an Elder at the First Presbyterian Church and served on the Lake Forest Preservation Foundation Board. Ted's professional background is in commercial real estate finance and development, and he is currently a Senior Vice President at Associated Bank. Ted currently serves on the Property & Public Lands Committee, and Public Works Committee. 
Ara Goshgarian has lived in Lake Forest most of his life. He attended Everett School, Deer Path Middle School and Lake Forest High School prior to graduating from Carroll College and the University of Illinois, graduating with a DDS. He completed his orthodontic specialty program at Loyola University. Mr. Goshgarian returned to Lake Forest with his wife and four children to practice orthodontics with his father and has been in the community ever since. His children are currently attending and have attended both Districts 67 and 115 schools. Ara served on The Friends of Lake Forest Parks and Recreation Board, most recently as its Vice President. He is a past President of both The Illinois Society of Orthodontists and The Midwestern Society of Orthodontists. He is currently serving on the Council of Government Affairs and have served on the AAO's House of Delegates, which has financial, policy and bylaw oversight over his professional organization. Ara is active in the community, having served on the Lake Forest Caucus, and firmly believes the mechanism of the Caucus system best serves Lake Forest. Ara is liaison to Parks and Recreation, and currently serves as the Chairman of the Property & Public Lands Committee. He is also on the Ad-Hoc Golf Advisory Committee.
Jim Preschlack took office May 2018 as Third Ward Alderman. He first came to the community with his family in 1977 and has called Lake Forest home base ever since. Jim received a BA in Economics from Hamilton College and an MBA from the University of Rochester. In 1998, Jim moved back to Lake Forest and married his wife Paula Lillard Preschlack, who also grew up in town. They currently reside in the Knollwood Club with their two teenagers, Stanley and Lillard, and their standard poodle, Louis. Jim worked as a management consultant before and after business school with Accenture, Arthur D. Little and KPMG Consulting, where he specialized in helping companies define and implement large scale transformational change programs. In 2016, Jim co-founded InFlow Partners, a boutique business accelerator based in Lake Forest that helps early stage companies develop "go-to market" strategies, acquire new customers, and raise capital to scale their businesses. Jim has been active in the community, volunteering for the Lake Forest Caucus, the Historic Preservation Commission as a member and as its Chairman, the Vestry of the Church of the Holy Spirit, and Beacon Academy, a Montessori High School in Evanston. Jim currently serves as the Chairman of the Public Works Committee, City Host of the Lake Forest Collaborative for Environmental Leadership, and is a member of the Environmental Sustainability Committee.
Raymond P. Buschmann and his wife Nancy moved to Lake Forest in 1995. Ray is a graduate of Loyola University and University of Illinois Law School. They have 5 children, with their youngest graduating from Lake Forest High School, and 11 grandchildren, with 2 recently graduating from Lake Forest Country Day School. Ray began his legal career at Schiff Hardin & Waite, and then joined a Fortune 500 company. After 25 years, he retired as Vice President and General Counsel of Morton International, having been part of the management team with extensive supervisory and budgetary responsibilities. In Lake Forest, Ray has served on the Building Review Board and the Legal Committee, including as Chairman of each. He was a volunteer for the AARP Tax-Aide program, serving as District Coordinator for Lake County and a certified IRS instructor. He also served as a federal appointee to the national Taxpayer Advocacy Panel. He continues to serve as an arbitrator for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), deciding disputes within the securities industry. Ray brings extensive background in the legal, business and financial areas. Ray currently serves on the Personnel, Compensation and Administration Committee and is the liaison to the Legal Committee. 
Eileen Looby Weber was born and raised in Lake Forest and is a local business Vice President of Lake Forest Flowers. She served on the Cemetery Commission, Route 60 Corridor Working Group, is an active volunteer for the Church and School of St. Mary, and is a member of the Junior Garden Club of Lake Forest. She also served on the Waukegan Road/Settlers' Square Business District Working Group and the LF-LB Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. She is a past President of the Lake Forest Caucus and the Amberley Woods Condominium Association. An avid floral enthusiast, Eileen has taught workshops at Elawa Farm, Dickinson Hall and for other organizations. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Horticultural Production and Marketing from Purdue University and an MBA from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. Eileen and her husband Brian have two young sons. Eileen currently serves as Chairman and liaison to the Civic Beautification Committee, and is a member of the Property & Public Lands Committee and Environmental Sustainability Committee.