Sal Garza announces for Mayor

By Karen S. Lynch

On a warm sunny Saturday morning, Sal Garza announced his bid for Mayor of Galesburg. The news conference officially launching his campaign was held at the Veterans Memorial in Lincoln Park, with his family at his side and surrounded by friends, supporters, a few council members and media.

Garza is seeking the office on the platform of a "new beginning" in Galesburg, with a focus on job retention and economic development for the future. Priorities of his bid for mayor will be attracting and retaining good-paying jobs with benefits, keeping the streets safe, improving the infrastructure and making Galesburg's quality of life "second to none." He plans to run a grassroots campaign by walking door-to-door throughout the community and listen to people's concerns.

A Senior Engineer with Maytag for 20 years when the company announced it was moving its Galesburg operation to Mexico in 2002, Garza later received the Governor's appointment to lead the State of Illinois Workforce Development, "Opportunity Returns Economic Development" initiative. After overseeing all 102 Illinois counties workforce projects and staff, in 2005 Garza moved to the economic development position serving the Western Illinois Region.

"I chose not to pursue another position with Maytag but instead, I chose to stay in Galesburg to restart my career, raise my family and dedicate myself to helping our community grow. Running for mayor is the next step in my desire to give back to the community and country that has given so much to me and my family."

Garza 45, and his wife of 23 years, Eva, have three children. He graduated from Galesburg High and began an eight-year stint in the United States Marian Corps. While serving in the Reserves, he started as a production worker for the Admiral Company and continued his education at Carl Sandburg College, St. Ambrose University and Hamilton Technical College in the evenings, eventually working through promotions to become a Senior Engineer with Maytag.

Garza has served in many leadership positions including serving as a Fire and Police Commissioner for the City of Galesburg, President and co-founder of the Hispanic Latino Resource Group, Inc. Also serving as a member of the Board of Directors for the National Railroad Hall of fame, Chairman for a Poverty Taskforce, Team Knox County and as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Illinois Valley Public Telecommunications Corporation (IVPTC) – the governing body of Central Illinois' public television station WTVP, based in Peoria. He is also a certified First Responder and enjoys family oriented activities.

Oct. 7, 2008