This year, more Illinois Mayors have signed up to participate in the Move with the Mayor (MWTM) initiative, which is run by the National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention. MWTM is a platform that Mayors across the country use to help their residents protect and improve their health and make their communities more active and accessible. Mayors use the free MWTM platform for sample communications materials, policy recommendations, and other tools to empower and protect their community members from cardiovascular health risk factors.

Because of these Mayors’ commitments to leading healthy communities, Illinois is #1 in the nation for Move with the Mayor (MWTM) communities. More importantly, joining the initiative will help to improve their residents’ cardiovascular health, increase health equity in their communities, and raise awareness about the benefits of physical activity. The 18 participating Mayors in Illinois include:

  • Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns, who also serves as the Caucus Environment Committee and Energy Subcommittee Chairman, as well as Executive Board Secretary
  • Batavia Mayor Jeffery Schielke, who also serves as a Caucus Executive Board Director
  • Hanover Park Mayor Rodney Craig, who also serves as Caucus Diversity Issues Task Force Co-Chairman
  • Campton Hills Mayor Mike Tyrrell
  • Cortland Mayor Mark Pietrowski
  • Countryside Mayor Sean R. McDermott
  • Elgin Mayor David Kaptain
  • Evergreen Park Mayor Kelly Burke
  • Frankfort Mayor Keith Ogle
  • Glendale Heights Mayor Chodri Ma Khokhar
  • Hampshire Mayor Mike Reid, Jr.
  • Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati
  • North Aurora Mayor Mark Gaffino
  • Quincy Mayor Mike Troup
  • Richton Park Mayor Rick Reinbold
  • Sleepy Hollow Mayor Stephen K. Pickett
  • West Chicago Mayor Ruben Pineda
  • Wood Dale Mayor Nunzio Pulice

A recent Daily Southtown article explained the MWTM initiative and focused on Village of Frankfort Mayor Keith Ogle’s decision to participate. The story also gives credit to participating mayors in the south suburbs, including Richton Park Mayor Rick Reinbold and Evergreen Park Mayor Kelly Burke. Another article by the Shaw Local News Network focuses on how City of Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke will host a “Move with the Mayor: A Walk Through History” event, during which he will highlight locations of historical moments that link the City to the Academy Awards, two former presidents, and more.

In addition to health benefits, the MWTM initiative can lead to positive environmental outcomes, such as lower vehicle emissions and improved air quality as residents turn to walking and biking instead of driving. “Reducing vehicle miles traveled” is one of the Caucus’ Climate Action Plan for the Chicago Region mitigation objectives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and one way to work toward this objective is through MWTM events.

The Caucus thanks all of the Mayors who are participating in this important initiative and hopes that communities’ MWTM events are enjoyable and successful.

Find Out More

The Caucus Environment Committee held a meeting on the topic of leading healthy communities in July and heard from participating MWTM Mayors Ruben Pineda from West Chicago and Chodri Ma Khokhar of Glendale Heights. The MWTM presentation slides from the National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention employees and the meeting recording can be found on the Caucus’ Environment Committee webpage.

Move with the Mayor sample social media graphic

The Move with the Mayor program offers sample communications materials to municipalities, such as this social media graphic.

During the meeting, Environment Committee members learned about the two components of the MWTM program, which is in its seventh year:

  1. Mayors and/or other elected officials must host at least one physical activity from Sept. 1 to Oct. 15. The activity can be virtual or in-person.
  2. The municipality must complete the Step It Up Roadmap between Sept. 1 and Oct. 30. The Roadmap is a self-assessment to identify strengths and opportunities in relation to programming and policies around walkability, nutrition, physical activity, and general heart health. The Roadmaps are used by cities to strategically plan.

Although the challenge runs through the fall, technical assistance is provided year-round by the National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention, if your community is hosting physical activities during other times of the year.

For further information, contact Sustainability Specialist Cheryl Scott at cscott@mayorscaucus.org and/or go to the MWTM webpage at: https://www.nationalforum.org/collaborations/mwtm/