ABOUT ME
25 years of legal experience in both public and private sectors
Proven leadership and negotiation skills in both government and the corporate settings
Experience overseeing large budgets with a passion for the public good
My name is Sonai Desai Bhagwakar, and I am running to represent you as on our village board of trustees.
As attorney with over 20 years of both public and private sector experience, I have worked in a large law firm in Chicago as a litigator, as Chief Legal Counsel for a state agency, and I currently serve as Deputy General Counsel for North America for a $4 Billion global corporation.
In my corporate role, I handle mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance with federal, state, and local laws, and conducting regular due diligence to ensure financially sound decisions are being made. Having been identified as a leader by my company, my approach has always been to identify risk and potential issues, and to then bring stakeholders together and develop a path forward. I have collaborated with both the White House and Presidential campaigns on the development of healthcare policy, and I have been involved in the Glen Ellyn community as a volunteer for many years, where I serve on the board of Equip for Equality, a legal advocacy group for people with disabilities, for which I review budgets each month and vote on critical issues.
I am running for Village Board Trustee because I believe in service and want to give back to the community my family and I love. My husband and I have raised three daughters in Glen Ellyn. Two of them recently graduated Glenbard West High School and now attend University of Michigan and Georgia Tech, and our youngest attends Hadley Junior High School.
I will bring my my leadership skills and legal experience to the Village Board to represent the best interests of our neighbors, and one of my top priorities is is continued economic and business development of our village. I am committed to the continued vibrance of our downtown area while maintaining its historic and small town charm, and I will further focus on on community planning on and south of the Roosevelt Road corridor, where I aim to establish thriving and beautiful areas in the process. I want to create ease for reputable businesses and individuals to invest in Glen Ellyn, and I believe in being a good steward of our taxpayer dollars.
I am committed to our Glen Ellyn communities, and want to be an advocate for our neighbors by championing growth, sustainability, and financial responsibility in all of my decisions on the Village Board!