The Ford Heights Village Board voted Wednesday to appoint a longtime friend of interim Mayor Freddie Wilson as village trustee, as well as a man with a family connection to convicted former Mayor Charles Griffin.

Wilson was named interim mayor last month following Griffin’s conviction for embezzlement.

Germaine Hooks, who said he is the brother of Griffin’s son Leland Hooks, and Douglas Jones were appointed to two vacancies on the board, one created when Trustee Wilson was named interim mayor.

The appointees received full support of the board and a standing ovation from about 50 people in attendance, as requested by Wilson. While the board did not discuss either Hooks or Jones’ backgrounds or experience before voting to appoint them, Wilson said afterward he chose them based on their involvement and interest in the Ford Heights community.

“Hooks has been here all his life, since he was a little kid,” Wilson said.

He said while Jones has only lived in Ford Heights a few years, he quickly became involved in village affairs, attending most board meetings.

“Only concerned citizens show up to these meetings, unless something crazy is going on,” Wilson said.

Wilson said while he doesn’t have any specific plans he thinks Hooks and Jones will support, he is looking forward to “not having restriction on your side when you need something passed or done.”

Hooks declined to answer questions after the meeting, but confirmed he is a brother of Leland Hooks, the public works supervisor for Ford Heights who testified during the Griffin’s trial about his own spending with a village debit card.

Hooks was appointed to replace Jimmy Viverrete, who resigned as trustee after the state’s attorney’s office notified him a prior criminal conviction made him ineligible to serve.

Jones, who is filling the vacancy left when Wilson became mayor, said he looks to “support the trustees and the mayor, always support making the town a better town.”

“Whatever the mayor wants, that’s what we’re going to try and make happen for the villagers,” he said later.

The meeting, lasting less than an hour, including brief discussions on Ford Heights’ more than decade long failure to pay its debt of more than $2 million to Chicago Heights for the village’s water supply, as well as the near completion of the village’s new recreation center.

Wilson said Ford Heights hired an attorney for a pending lawsuit, though an agreement between the two villages may prevent Chicago Heights from proceeding with litigation.

ostevens@chicagotribune.com