When Evan Girard met Ald. Don Wilson (4th) as a fellow parent at Washington Elementary School, he struck her as a “rare dad” who was heavily involved with the school.
He continued to impress her after becoming the Washington School PTA Recreation Coordinator.
“I joke to the other parents that Don could be a mom because he’s so organized,” said Girard, who ended up working as Wilson’s co-campaign manager. “He won’t ever let a kid forget a sweatshirt. He’s so on top of things.”
Wilson, who replaced Steve Bernstein as the Fourth Ward’s voice on the Evanston City Council this spring, kept his day job as a partner at a Chicago law firm.
Before running for public office, Wilson sat on the Board of the Directors for the Infant Welfare Society and Evanston’s Zoning Board of Appeals.
But he gained the most visibility in the community while coaching his children’s little league teams.
“He brings that legal training and background, but he’s not a confrontational lawyer looking to blow things up,” said Dave Harris, another parent baseball coach and Chicago attorney.
Born in Tennessee, Wilson lived in several states due to his father’s government job until the family settled in Buffalo Grove, Ill.
Wilson studied psychology at the University of Illinois at at Urbana-Champaign and headed straight to the University of Kansas School of Law.
Wilson, a father of three, met his wife Sheryl in law school when they sat next to each other during an international law class. After moving to Evanston in 1995, he proposed to her.
During his campaign, Wilson made an effort to avoid turning his campaign into a “spending contest,” Girard said. He traded “slick-looking” campaign materials for more eco-friendly and locally-produced items. Instead of ordering cheaper campaign buttons in Texas, Wilson chose to buy them at a much higher price from a local business.
“It was about that local businessman having an income,” Girard said. “It’s not about politics. It’s about people for Don.”
Aside from helping local businesses survive the economic downturn, Wilson hopes to facilitate infrastructural improvements in Evanston to the rail bridges and CTA stops.
Like many other aldermen, Wilson has plans to improve relations between Northwestern and the city government.
“Evanston is notorious for hiring a lot of consultants and paying a lot of money for that, so why not give students the opportunity to contribute in that way and save the city a lot of money as well?” Wilson said.
Raising three children, representing the Fourth Ward and holding down his job has caused Wilson to be constantly multi-tasking. During this weekend’s NorthShore University HealthSystem Grand Prix cycling race in Evanston, for instance, Wilson’s children joined him on the stage while he blew the horn to start a race.
“Hopefully, it’s giving them a message about what’s important in the community, and that’s a large part of why I’m doing this,” Wilson said. “I have three kids that will be growing up in Evanston, and I want things to stay great for them.”
Outside the Council Chambers, Wilson enjoys cycling and running almost every day, putting thousands of miles on his bike every summer. His friends nicknamed him the “mayor of the bike path,” Girard said.
Wilson also picks up the guitar from time to time, a hobby from high school.
“I have all these cool ’80s-looking guitars, and my kids don’t think they’re interesting at all,” he said, laughing. “Oh well, maybe in a few years.”
