Communications Department

Mary Ann Thornton Director

Phone:   708-210-2918 Fax:   708-210-1019 E-Mail:   mthornton@southholland.org

Mission Statement

The mission of the Communications Department is to provide beneficial information to present and potential residents, businesses, community organizations, and municipal employees. We do this by designing and managing programs and services, and by providing instruments and forums of communication. We also do it through participation in various professional organizations. Our goal is to increase communication between residents and village government and all key groups within the community. We believe that well-informed citizens take pride in their community and are the backbone of community vitality.

Festivals and Events                 

• Annual cleanup campaign Take a Bite Out of Grime

• Annual Celebration of Education

• Annual Student Government Day

• Annual Independence Day Celebration

• Annual Heritage Festival

• Annual Diversity Dinners     
  Diversity Dinner Interest Survey, Adobe Acrobat Required

• Annual Santa Comes to Town

• Annual Neighborhood Groups Holiday Lights Contest

Publications

South Holland Today, the official Village newspaper, is published monthly and distributed by bulk mailing free of charge to all postal customers in South Holland Zip Code 60473. Additional free copies are available at the Communications Department in the Municipal Complex at 16226 Wausau Avenue. South Holland Today aims to enhance community pride and encourage investment and reinvestment in the community. The paper does not accept paid advertising. South Holland Today is now also available online!

Between Five and Seven, a program featuring South Holland pastors discussing local topics, is broadcast over South Holland's public access Cable TV Channels 6 (Wide Open West) and 4 (Comcast) five times per week: Monday and Friday at 9:30am and 9:30pm, and Wednesday at 7:00pm.

Employee Matters, an employee newsletter,is published quarterly in order to facilitate communication between employees and the village administration.

Programs, Services, and Special Activities

The official Village of South Holland Web Site,www.southholland.org is a project of the Communications Department.  The web architect is Tim De Young.

South Holland's Model Community Initiative, coordinated through the Communications Department, is a planning and management tool to institute action plans and goals for village operations. Information on specific objectives and action points is provided annually in South Holland Today.

As an outgrowth of the Model Community Initiative, the Communications Department organizes various forums and meetings, usually on a quarterly basis, to enhance communication and encourage the development of new ideas and programs. The meetings of the Central Committee and the Leadership Forum fall in these categories.

South Holland continues to maintain a real estate Non-Solicitation List on our Web Site as a service to residents. Because of the court’s rulings, we cannot require Realtors to avoid mailing to persons whose names appear on the list. We do ask them to voluntarily respect the wishes of residents who choose to place their name on such a list. Additionally, it is in regular meetings of the Local Joint Commission that we are able to address real estate issues and practices with executives of the Association of Realtors®.

The Village of South Holland aims to provide leadership that benefits other communities as well as our own residents. Consistent with this aim we maintain membership along with twenty-six other South suburban municipalities in Diversity, Inc. Through these and other involvements we are able to participate in regional fair housing activities and programs geared to maintaining unity and vitality as racially diverse communities in the Southern suburbs.