GA_032119

6 | March 21, 2019 | The glencoe anchor news
glencoeanchor.com
Husband, wife to step down from
Village positions after relocating
Submitted by Village of
Glencoe
Village of Glencoe
Trustee Dale Thomas and
Plan Commission Chairwoman
Caren Thomas
have notified Village President
Lawrence R. Levin
that they will step down
from their respective positions
effective March
29. Both roles require that
they reside in the corporate
boundaries of the Village
of Glencoe and the Thomas
family is relocating to a
nearby suburb after having
lived in Glencoe for 30
years.
“That Dale and Caren
are leaving is a major loss
for Glencoe, as both have
been true leaders in our
community,” Village President
Levin said. “Their
contributions to the Village
Board, Golf Advisory
Committee, Golf Clubhouse
Task Force, Street
Ends Task Force and Plan
Commission have been
tremendous. Both are
leaving a legacy of selfless
public service and dedication
to the betterment of
Glencoe. Our community
owes them a great debt of
gratitude.”
Trustee Dale Thomas
was elected to the Board of
Trustees in 2013 and since
that time has also served
as the Chairman of the
Golf Advisory Committee
and as a member of the
Finance Committee.
Prior to his election to
the Village Board, Dale
served on the Golf Advisory
Committee from
2004-2010, as well as on
the Street Ends Task Force
which recommended a
series of improvements
to the Village’s shoreline
adjacent street ends from
2011-2012. Dale played
an integral role in the Village’s
efforts to enter into
a new land use agreement
with the Cook County
Forest Preserve District,
which will ensure the
long-term preservation of
Glencoe’s 126-acre publically
owned golf course.
Dale also has been supportive
of efforts to plan
future capital improvements
to the Glencoe Golf
Club clubhouse through
his work on the Clubhouse
Task Force, which convened
from 2010-2012.
On the Village Board, he
thoughtfully collaborated
on the development of the
Village’s Strategic Plans,
approved in 2014 and
2018. Through his work
on the Finance Committee,
he has helped to safeguard
the Village’s excellent
financial position, ensuring
growth of the reserve
funds and passage of two
bond referenda in 2015.
His leadership contributed
to the preservation of the
Village’s coveted AAA
bond rating by Standard &
Poor’s.
In addition to his service
to the Glencoe community,
Dale enjoyed a successful
career in law with a focus
on telecommunications
and energy regulation, recently
retiring as Senior
Counsel at the law firm of
Sidley Austin, LLP.
Plan Commission
Chairmwoman Caren
Thomas, a land-use attorney
and strategic planning
consultant, has served
on the Plan Commission
for 24 years (15 years as
chair) with numerous accomplishments
that have
positively impacted the
Glencoe community.
Most recently, Caren
led the process to redraft
the Village’s Appearance
Guide which details design
standards for residential
and business districts.
From 2014-2016, she
provided leadership, guidance
and oversight of the
Downtown TuneUp engagement
process that
led to the creation and
adoption of the Village’s
Downtown Plan. Already,
the Downtown Plan’s
recommendations are being
implemented, as seen
through the current Tudor
Court Design review process,
the goal of which
is to build on the arts
core that is developing in
Glencoe’s downtown.
Caren served as an expert
advisor to Village
Board and staff during the
special use review and approval
of the new Writers
Theatre building, completed
in 2016. She was also
heavily involved in the design
review and approval
of all three automobile
dealerships on Frontage
Road, thereby helping to
achieve a long-term economic
development goal
of the Village.
Also thanks to Caren’s
leadership, the Village
considered and approved
an updated subdivision ordinance
in addition to an
impervious surface ordinance
and comprehensive
steep slope legislation,
aimed at protecting Glencoe’s
unique natural physical
environmental while
applying land use best
practices. Prior to her service
on the commission,
Caren was involved in the
development of the Plan
Commission’s 1996 Comprehensive
Plan which she
then helped to update as
a commission member in
2004.
“My long term goal as
Plan Commission Chairman
was to bring the Village’s
canon of land use
law into the modern age,”
Caren said. “Having seen
multiple projects through
to conclusion, while it
is personally difficult —
even painful — to leave, I
do so without regret. With
the active participation
of superb Plan Commissioners
and an outstanding
staff, we have accomplished
everything I hoped
we would.”
“Glencoe is, and will
always be, our home community,”
wrote the Thomases
in a farewell note. “We
look forward to continued
opportunities to be of service
to Glencoe, a Village
served by an extraordinary
professional staff and devoted
volunteer public
officials. It is an honor
to be a part of Glencoe’s
history.”
Per State statute, an appointment
to a vacancy on
the Board of Trustees may
be made by the Village
President and confirmed
by the Village Board of
Trustees. Should an appointment
be made, the
replacement trustee will
serve through the end
of Dale’s current term,
ending in April 2021.
The vacancy left by
Caren on the Plan Commission
will be filled by an
appointment by the Village
President. Levin has begun
the process of considering
individuals for both roles
and any interested candidates
should contact him
via e-mail at larrylevin@
villageofglencoe.org.
Glencoe resident
behind Divvy House
Interiors and Design
Alexa Burnell
Freelance Reporter
Anyone who tunes into
an HGTV show will hear
plenty of trendy home renovation
and design terms,
but Glencoe’s Amy Erb,
founder of Divvy House,
said that when it comes
to creating a home that
will evoke joy for years
to come, it is a personal,
functional, one-of-a-kind
design that will truly stand
the test of time.
Erb has lived in various
places both domestic
and abroad, spending her
high school years in Lake
Forest. Despite her love
for design and studies
in architecture, she pursued
a career in marketing
at DDB Chicago — a
choice that may have left
her longing for more creativity,
but also gave her
a leg-up when it came to
business matters.
“Once I had a family, I
realized spending time at
a career that didn’t leave
me completely fulfilled,
no longer made sense. So,
I went back to school at the
Harrington School of Design,
obtained a master’s
degree and began working
in home staging,” she said.
“Not long after, I founded
Divvy House, starting off
with remodeling and renovations
and evolving along
the way.
“As Divvy grew, I could
see how my past career
experiences positively
impacted my business.
I’m grateful for the path I
took.”
Along with Erb’s own
personal evolution is the
evolution of her business.
Throughout the years,
Amy Erb, of Glencoe,
is the founder of Divvy
House Interiors and
Design. Photo Submitted
Erb has hired additional
designers, all who have
their own specialties. She
ensures that clients are
partnered with someone
who can understand their
wants and needs, all the
while infusing some of
Divvy’s core values.
“Our approach is not
corporate, it’s personal,”
Erb said. “I always start
by interviewing a client
to get a sense of who they
are and where they are at.
I help them identify family
heirlooms that may enhance
the style and design
they crave. We blend modern
with traditional pieces,
and I always work with the
idea of repurposing materials
found within the clients
home. Not only is this
better for our environment
and surrounding communities,
but it personalizes
the project. I also believe
in renovating versus tearing
down. Older homes are
rich in history and quality
materials. So much
of what we already have
can be used in an entirely
different way.”
And, while glitz and
Please see divvy, 15