Fred Bilotto has only been mayor of Blue Island since April, but his involvement in public service began when he began volunteering at the Feast of St. Donatus at St. Donatus Church. Both he and his wife, Stephanie, were born in the city, and both graduated from nearby St. Xavier University. They and their three children are now involved in the feast, which has been celebrated for 116 years.

Bilotto ran for mayor because he wanted to create a more open and transparent government while addressing infrastructure issues in the aging city. “The problems weren’t created in a day, and they won’t be solved in a day,” he says. “I’m looking forward to the challenge.”