Eira Corral

Video Introduction

Endorsed by: The Daily Herald, The Examiner of Hanover Park, Senator Michael Noland, Hanover Democratic Township Voters, and Southwest Democrats, Laborers' District Council of Chicago and Vicinity, Hanover Park Village Clerk Sherry Craig, Hanover Park Trustee Toni Carter

A seventeen year resident of Hanover Park, IL, Eira Corral and her brother Richard have been raised in the Village.  Following her parents’, Everardo and Martha Corral, tradition, she has also bought her first home in Hanover Park, IL and looks forward to raising her son Julián with a strong sense of appreciation and engagement in the community.

Her professional experience has been with the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI), a national, non-profit and non-partisan organization, holding the title of Media Relations and Field Coordinator.  She has engaged and trained young leaders in strategizing a voter registration campaign that has led to the registration of over 55,000 eligible voters, since 2006.  As a field coordinator, Eira manages several of the USHLI Programs, such as the 21st Century Leaders Internship, overseeing more than forty student leaders in eleven states, the Annual Career and College Recruitment Fair, recruiting over 3,000 high school students and administrators in the tri-state area, and Project SED (Students for an Educated Democracy), an instructional and mock election program that will be the largest and the first in the nation for the November 2008 Presidential Elections. 

Eira Corral has been a featured guest on Chicagoing with Bill Cambell (ABC), Adelante Chicago (WGN), Avanzando con la Comunidad (Univision), En Contexto and De Frente (Telemundo), as well as other local, national, and international broadcasting and print media outlets.  She has been invited as to speak on leadership and the democratic process at Glenbard North High School, Harper College, Northwestern University, Northern Illinois University, the DePaul University International Conference: Human Rights Issues and Social Justice in the Americas, and the 2008 LULAC Illinois State Conference.

She earned her Bachelors of Arts from DePaul University with a double major in Political Science and Latino & Latin American Studies and a double minor in Community Service Studies and Commercial Spanish.  She studies abroad in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Nogales, Mexico to study history, democracy, economics, and social justice.  Eira was a Steans Center Community Service Scholar throughout her college career and was recognized as a McCormick Tribune Scholar her senior year.  As such, she fused the fields of academics and activism under the community building framework of Asset–Based Community Development, which influenced her senior thesis- Nace Communidad: The Emerging Latino Community in the Village of Hanover Park, IL.

Eira has worked with Centro de Información, a community organization in the Glendale Terrace neighborhood of Hanover Park, IL, tutoring and mentoring students from Ontarioville Elementary School and has been a committed volunteer in the Annual Mental Health Fair.  She has been appointed to the Cultural Inclusion and Diversity Committee by the Village of Hanover Park, IL.  Eira is a member of St. Ansgar Roman Catholic Church, Hanover Park, IL.

Eira Corral looks forward to representing the young, diverse, and vibrant community of Hanover Park, IL as Village Clerk using her skills to promote leadership, inclusion, and efficiency.

Candidate Spotlight, February 5th, 2009

Eira Corral Standing for Leadership, Inclusion, and Efficiency

Eira Corral, a seventeen year resident of the Village of Hanover Park and community organizer is running for the Village’s open seat for Village Clerk.  "Hanover Park is a young, diverse, and vibrant community and it deserves to be represented by someone who reflects the interests of the village, engages community members, and is invested in their leadership development," said Ms. Corral,

Ms Corral recognizes the talented individuals who have held the clerkship “I will keep in mind the talents of former Village Clerks: the strength and vision of Sonya Crawshaw who was also our former Mayor, and, of course, the commitment and charisma of Sherry Craig, the current Village Clerk.  Hanover Park Owes much to their work.”

"The Village Clerk is one of the first local government officials that residents and business owners have an opportunity to meet.  Building a strong relationship with residents that are invested in Hanover Park is essential for the growth of the Village," notes Eira Corral.  "Our business investors are a vital piece for the economic progress of Hanover Park.  The advancement of the business community will be promoted in supporting the recently established Hanover Park Chamber of Commerce through initiatives that encourage new investment and the development of entrepreneurial skills."

Citing a need for progress that presses for open government, accountability and efficiency, Hanover Park residents have formally established a new political party Hanover Park Progress to provide voters an alternative to the status quo in upcoming election on April 7, 2009.  Inclusion is a key value for Hanover Park Progress and they intend to act on this value by connecting community members and building awareness of community resources available to residents.

 “We are a community represented by several taxing bodies: two congressional districts, two state senate districts, two counties, several school districts and multiple township governments.  Having access to all these jurisdictions should be an asset for Hanover Park in providing residents with the best services.  This can only be achieved through networking and developing strong partnerships,” states Ms. Corral.

Core issues for the Village also include Efficient Energy Solutions and Public Safety.  Being a part of the Wind Turbine Alliance, Corral believes, “is the Village’s commitment to finding innovative energy alternatives by developing policies that require local action, collaboration with regional and state entities, and that have a global impact.”

Supporting the Hanover Park Police Department by increasing the number of police officers to progressively meet the minimum requirements will require strategic planning that involves a review of the budgetary process and being complimented by the Public Safety Advisory Board, recently established by Village President Rod Craig and community policing efforts.

Eira Corral has been active in engaging the community of Hanover Park through her involvement in local parishes and community organizations.  Ms. Corral is co-chair of the Cultural Inclusion and Diversity Committee for the Village of Hanover Park.  She has worked with Centro de Información of Hanover Park in mentoring students from Ontarioville Elementary School and has been a committed supporter of the Hanover Township Annual Mental Health Fair.  She organizes leaders in Hanover Park to coordinate community outreach events such as: seminars providing assistance in restructuring affordable mortgage payments for residents at risk for foreclosure, Consumer Protection Workshop with the Office of Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Property Tax Relief Assistance, and Surviving this Economic Crisis Symposium, among other initiatives. 

Her professional experience has been with the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI), a national, non-profit and non-partisan organization. She manages national and statewide media campaigns and programs focused on civic participation and leadership development for high school and college students, community leaders, and professionals.  She has engaged and trained leaders in strategizing a voter registration campaign and Get Out the Vote campaign that has led to the civic participation for the 2008 election of over 62,000 eligible voters in more than eleven states.

Ms. Corral earned her Bachelor’s of Arts from DePaul University with a double major in Political Science and Latino & Latin American Studies and a double minor in Community Service Studies and Commercial Spanish.

Eira Corral looks forward to representing her community of Hanover Park, IL as Village Clerk and brining her knowledge of organizational management and communications to the Village, she says, “I will use my skills to promote leadership, inclusion, and efficiency.”