Oak Lawn has a new mayor, but residents should not expect too much to change anytime soon. Terry Vorderer, a lifelong resident of the village, former park board member and two-term trustee, said his aim is to keep steering the ship in the same direction.

“Oak Lawn is on the path to being rediscovered not only as a community to invest your money in but a community to want to live in,” Vorderer said. “I really feel that I am stepping into a leadership position with true leaders. I work with men and women of honor, and I’m looking forward to continuing that.”

Vorderer was sworn in Monday with his longtime neighbor, Associate Cook County Circuit Judge Demetrios Kottaras, administering the oath.

“In the almost 50 years since my family moved into that white brick ranch in Oak Lawn, I have not met a person who lives, breathes and loves this village more than your next president,” Kottaras said.

Kottaras told residents they elected a Vietnam veteran, family man and former police officer, who retired as chief of patrol from the Oak Lawn Police Department, to be their village’s leader.

“Not only does Terry bring with him the common sense and savvy of a businessman; he brings with him those traits of character that he holds dear in every aspect of daily life: service, community, tradition, loyalty and family,” Kottaras said.

One of Vorderer’s first action items was to hire two new patrol officers. The Village Board also voted unanimously to authorize a line of credit for the construction of a replacement regional emergency communications center.

Vorderer said the continuing redevelopment of the housing and business community to update it from its time of major growth in the 1950s and ’60s will remain important under his leadership. He also said the state’s pension crisis will continue to put burdens on municipalities such as Oak Lawn, and he expects that will come to a head during his tenure, though he said there are no easy fixes. Regional collaboration will be an important part of encouraging investment in the community, he said.

“We’re all in the same game spending taxpayers’ dollars,” he said. “I want to be able to be on a first-name basis with our school boards, our park districts. If we can work together and spend this tax dollar wisely, we can make the village even better”

More than anything, he said he wants to make sure village departments get the resources they need to continue providing services.

“I see our Police Department and our Fire Department as the diamonds that make Oak Lawn the place you want to live,” Vorderer said. “Maintaining the security of your community is the primary mission of government. If you lose the security of your community, you lost it all.”

Vorderer said becoming mayor was special because it happened in a town where he has lived his entire life and worked for much of it.

“When I think about my life in Oak Lawn, I go back to smoking my first cigarette in a cornfield down the street from my house,” he said. “I’ve seen a whole lot. I think the idea of maybe stepping up to the mayor’s position was instilled in me by watching previous mayors as a policeman and the commitment to this community and a great admiration for the work. I began to think maybe I should have an opportunity to be the mayor, too.”

Vorderer said he was “awestruck” by the challenge of being mayor.

“I’m humbled by it. And I’m very grateful to the voters of this community for giving me a chance at doing this,” he said.

Vorderer said people sometimes ask why he never moved, even after his retirement from the police force at age 54.

“This is the town that encompasses all the values of being an American,” he said. “Oak Lawn not only has poverty but it has professional doctors and lawyers and judges. It’s a great community to be part of.”

Vorderer said after retiring from the police force, he talked to former Mayor Ernie Kolb and Village Clerk Jayne Powers about continuing his commitment. He got their support for an Oak Lawn Park Board run and served for six years.

“I thought I could do more for this village as a trustee, so I stepped up to the trustee position,” he said.

Vorderer lost his first election for Village Board running as part of a slate, but ran successfully as an independent in 2013.

Also sworn in Tuesday was Trustee Jamie Pembroke, taking Vorderer’s 4th District seat, and newly elected Clerk Claire Henning. Trustees Alex Olejniczak and Tom Phelan, who were both reelected, were sworn in as 2nd and 6th district trustees, respectively.

The meeting was the last for Sandra Bury, who did not seek a third term as mayor, and Jane Quinlan, who is retiring after 16 years as village clerk.

Trustees offered their praise to the outgoing officials, with Phelan in particular noting their absence would leave a “massive void.”

“I’ve been blessed to be able to serve the people of Oak Lawn,” Quinlan said.

Bury also called it an honor and privilege to have been mayor.

“We are trying to make a more perfect village,” Bury said. “It is not perfect. It is not without warts. But by working together we can really move things along.”

Bury said she is proud of the economic development initiatives over the past eight years. She also emphasized that meetings under her tenure, with the cooperation of the board, have been “businesslike” and returned to a tone of professionalism she felt was lacking.

Bury gave Vorderer one more nod of approval.

“As mayor, my perspective was as a business owner, and I think Terry’s perspective of public safety from his career will benefit the community as well,” she said. “Terry, it is a privilege to pass the torch to you. It gives me peace of mind. I couldn’t think of a better mayor for this community than someone with your history.”

Bill Jones is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.