Commissioner Frank Avila talks with Luis Arroyo Jr. who is a candidate for the Cook County Board 8th District. Luis Arroyo, Jr. is a lifelong public servant, community leader and resident of Chicago's Northwest side. Luis was inspired to serve his own community as a young man, watching as many of his friends and classmates at Steinmetz High School and in his neighborhood struggled with the impacts of poverty, single parenthood, the juvenile criminal justice system and a lack of access to high quality, affordable health care. His own story, in many respects, reflects those challenges. A talented student athlete, Luis was considered a possible prospect to play sports at a professional level. But after becoming a father while just a teenager, Luis knew he needed to focus on building a brighter future for his daughter. Luis has also been inspired by the work of his father, Illinois State Rep. Luis Arroyo, Sr. (3rd District), who took office in 2006 after a career as small business owner in the Puerto Rican community. Luis advises Rep. Arroyo as a member of the 3rd Illinois State Representative District Steering Committee, which convenes regularly to discuss pressing policy matters affecting residents of the 3rd District, including the Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Hermosa, Montclair and Irving Park communities. On that committee, Luis has worked on issues including crime prevention; increasing awareness of programs and services available to the public; solutions to the foreclosure crisis; public education and public health. Luis began his career as a public servant, first at the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County before joining the team at the City of Chicago Department of Water Management, which is responsible for delivering nearly 1 billion gallons of fresh water to residents of Chicago and 125 suburban communities each day. As a union member for the past 18 years, Arroyo has been an active fighter for a living wage for all workers. Luis serves as chairman and co-founder of the Illinois Council for the Advancement of Latino Leadership, which works to cultivate leadership skills and networks among young Latinos. As a member of the Chicago Park District Advisory Council for Shabbona Park in the Portage Park community, Luis worked tirelessly alongside other local leaders to help procure a half million dollars in government funding to support the construction of a new playground. TOB_5449 copy Luis Arroyo Jr. A new generation of leadership for Cook County. Now completing his Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies University Without Walls Program at Northeastern Illinois University, Luis lives in Logan Square with his wife, Desiree, and their two year-old son, Jaiden. Luis' daughter Jocelyn is pursuing undergraduate studies at the University of Central Florida

• published: 14 Dec 2013
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