City of Aurora mayor-elect John Laesch recently announced the formation of his official Transition Team—a dynamic and diverse group of civic leaders, policy experts, organizers, and longtime public servants who will help shape the future of Aurora’s city government. Although the transition team includes three sitting Aldermen, Laesch will be meeting with all sitting aldermen and newly-elected members of the council to make sure that their opinions are included in strategic goal-setting and the decision-making process. The Open Meetings Act (OMA) prevents more aldermen from being part of the committee. There is an ongoing outreach effort to add additional members to the transition team.
Charged with facilitating a smooth transfer of leadership, the Transition Committee will review city operations, engage with community stakeholders, and develop early strategic goals for the Laesch administration in advance of the swearing-in on May 13th, 2025.
“Our committee represents the heart of Aurora—people who know our city, care deeply, and have spent years working toward justice, access, and transparency,” said mayor-elect Laesch. “This group reflects the community’s diversity, knowledge, ethics, experience, and shared vision for a more transparent, accountable, and people-centered local government.”
Transition team members include:
Shannon Cameron – Chair of the Transition Committee; former executive director of the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry; Founding director of the Paramount School of the Arts; Mental health professional, former public-school teacher, member of Aurora Mutual Aid, Aurora Rapid Response Team, and the League of Women Voters.
Former mayor David Pierce – Former mayor of Aurora and former Kane County clerk and Kane County Board member.
Alderman Mike Saville – Saville is the Ward 6 alderman and the mayor pro-tem. With more than 40 years under his belt, Saville is the longest serving member of the Aurora City Council. Alderman Saville is employed at RealManage – Aurora.
Alderman Ed Bugg – Bugg is the Ward 9 alderman. He also serves as a board member for Grace Community Christian Church, The ALIVE Center, and Remington Cross Homeowners Association.
Alderman Ted Mesiacos – Mesiacos is the Ward 3 alderman with a long history of civic engagement that includes the Rotary Club and serving on the Aurora Plan Commission and Aurora Zoning Board of Appeals. He is the owner/operator of Themes Architecture Firm in downtown Aurora.
Keith Larson– Keith Larson is a software engineer and was recently elected as alderman-at-large in Aurora. Keith wants to see the community have more input in major decisions made by the city and wants Aurora to work to improve the conditions of all the residents.
Ed Mullen – Attorney and experienced litigator in civil rights, employment discrimination, elections, and more.
Gautam Bhatia – Information technology executive, chair of Naperville Township Democrats, Naperville Township trustee-elect.
Mavis Bates – Kane County Board member, District 4 and chair of the Energy and Environmental Committee. In addition, Bates is the founder of Aurora’s Greenfest event and a longtime environmental activist.
Casildo “Casey” Cuevas – Founder and vice president of non-profit UNI2; Bilingual Community service director for senator Karina Villa; chair of Working Families Aurora; Immigration chair of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement
Karina Garcia – President and CEO of the Aurora Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce who was recently appointed to the Illinois Workforce Development Innovation Board for the state of Illinois.
Raymond Hull – Retired City of Aurora employee, former East Aurora School District 131 Board president, former labor leader.
Jazmine Garcia – Urban planner focusing on community development and sustainability, Fox Walk Overlay District Design Review Committee member.
Salek Khalid – Advocate for immigrant and refugee rights as well as Muslim civic engagement; currently serving as program manager for Immigrant Justice Partnerships at The Resurrection Project.
Nicole Mullins – Founder and president of L.I.F.T. Aurora (Culture Stock); Community Care Unit supervisor at Senior Services Associates.
Chuck Nelson – Longtime City of Aurora Employee and former Deputy Mayor of Aurora. Nelson is currently the Trustee for the Fox Metro, District 5.
Nicholas Richard-Thompson – Director of Communications, Illinois Black Advocacy Initiative; Midwest regional organizer for Black Alliance for Peace; Board member of the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley, Aurora Mutual Aid, Simply Destinee, and Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry, former City of Aurora employee.
Ram Tyagi – Ram Tyagi brings more than 25 years of experience in the tech industry and management to the Transition Team. He serves as treasurer of his Homeowners Association Board and is a board member of LibraryCreate, a nonprofit focused on youth empowerment, literacy, and community service.
Michelle Velazquez – Fire inspector for city of Aurora, former labor leader for AFSCME, Council 31 AFL/CIO, Local 3298.
Christina Whitty – Whitty is a risk and regulatory leader with a strong background in financial risk management. Her skills include more than 36 years of leadership in conducting financial and risk control analysis and document assessments. She brings extensive leadership skills in managing highly productive teams and is a trusted colleague in managing with transparency.
The committee brings together extensive institutional knowledge and grassroots experience. With a former mayor, sitting aldermen, nonprofit leaders, attorneys, organizers, and public servants at the table, the Laesch administration is signaling a deep commitment to collaboration and inclusive policy making.
“We are building a government that works for the people—because it’s powered by the people,” said Cameron, Transition Committee chair. “This team is ready to get to work.”
In the coming weeks, the Transition Committee will meet with city departments, review policies and budget priorities, and connect with residents to ensure the new administration is grounded in community needs from day one.
— City of Aurora mayor-elect John Laesch’s Transition Committee