Trustee Sheldon Watts
Trustee Sheldon Watts has dedicated himself as an avid volunteer, community advocate, and an elected community leader in Bolingbrook for nearly 15 years. Sheldon is a proven government leader in Bolingbrook, having been elected to the Village Board of Trustees as well as being elected and appointed to various other offices over the years. He was appointed to Bolingbrook’s Village Board on November 28, 2017 to fill a vacancy created due to the passing of beloved and long serving Trustee and Deputy Mayor Leroy J. Brown. Sheldon was then elected with the most votes on April 2, 2019 to a four-year term. Prior to serving on the village Board, Watts served as an elected DuPage Township Trustee and as an appointed member of the Bolingbrook Zoning Board of Appeals. Sheldon also ran for mayor in 2021.
Named Bolingbrook’s Male Citizen of the Year in 2014, Watts has been a strong supporter of the youth in the community for many years. This is exhibited through his mentoring efforts in addition to being president and founder of the Bolingbrook STEM Association, where the mission is providing Science, Technology, Engineering and Math learning opportunities for the Youth. Business development and bringing awareness of resources in the community has also been a focus through his roles as board member of the Will County Center for Community Concerns and being the founder of the “Brunch in the Brook” Minority Business Networking Forum. Watts is also a successful leader in the global corporate technology industry, where he has enjoyed a 25-year results proven career.
Watts, is a graduate of Roosevelt University with both a B.A. and M.B.A., and has successfully completed all course work and the comprehensive exam towards a PhD in Organizational Leadership, at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Sheldon and his wife Cherron, are lifelong residents of Illinois, and have been Bolingbrook residents since 2007. The Watts’ have eight-year-old twins who are a constant source of joy and inspiration. The Watts family attends Victory Cathedral Worship Center in Bolingbrook where Sheldon has been engaged with the church’s Men’s Ministry.
As a village trustee, Sheldon has been accessible, responsive, and a staunch advocate of our local government exploring ways to operate in a more efficient, effective and “people focused” manner. The continual desire to make a difference and the desire to pursue further advancements within our community, is why Sheldon is seeking re-election.
- Current Village Trustee
- Member of the Village’s Public Safety Committee
- Member of the Finance Committee
- Global Telecommunications Industry Career – Since 1997
- Data Privacy & Security Management / Compliance Management
- Business Operations Management
- ISO 27001 Standards, Lead Program Coordinator
- Engineering Specification Writing
- President & Founder – Bolingbrook STEM Association 2021 (Best of Bolingbrook Business Award Recipient in the Education Category)
- Founder – “Brunch in the Brook” Minority Business Networking Forum
- Board Member – Will County Center for Community Concerns
- Member of the Wilco Area Career Center’s Fire Science and EMS Advisory Committee
- Chairman – Bolingbrook Joyfest Family Fun Christian Music Festival
- Former DuPage Township Trustee 2011-2016
- Former Member – DuPage Township Youth Taskforce
- Former Commissioner – Bolingbrook Zoning Board of Appeals
- Member – Home Owners Association Architectural Review Board
- Past Board Member & Secretary – Bolingbrook Exchange Club
- Past Participant: Valley View School District FANS Mentoring Program
- Former Member – Valley View School District Safety Committee
- Former Coach: Heart Haven Outreach (H2O) Character Counts 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
- Guest Speaker/Mentor: The H.E.A.R.T. Organization
- Former Club Director – Chicagoland Pathfinder Youth Ministries
- Former Co-Chairman – Building Committee, Straford Memorial Church, Chicago, IL
- Former Chairman – Strategic Planning Committee, Straford Memorial Church, Chicago, IL
- 2016 Governor Jim Edgar Fellowship Class
- Association of Illinois Township Committees on Youth: 2012 Township “Friend of the Youth Award ”
- Village of Bolingbrook: 2014 Male Citizen of the Year
- B.A. – Roosevelt University, 1998
- M.B.A. – Roosevelt University, 2001
- Ph.D. Candidate – Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Completed Coursework and Comps Exam in Organizational Leadership