Ten candidates are running for the Peoria City Council’s five at-large seats in the non-partisan election April 4. Under Peoria’s system, voters casting ballots for these races have five votes to cast for the candidates. Voters may choose to cast all five of their votes for one candidate or split the five votes between different candidates.
In alphabetical order, here are candidates’ brief biographies, excerpted with permission from summaries by ChangePeoria.org and/or edited from material provided by the candidates.

Demario Boone

Born and raised on Peoria’s South Side, Boone attended Illinois Central College and the University of Illinois Police Training Academy before becoming an officer with the Peoria Police Department and then an officer and now Director of School Safety at Peoria Public Schools, where he’s worked for more than 15 years. There, he established a Gang Intervention Unit and works to mentor youth. His honors include a national award as Campus Safety Magazine Director of the Year and the NAACP’s 2020 Courage Award recipient.

Bernice Gordon-Young

Dr. Gordon-Young is a licensed psychotherapist, entrepreneur, not-for-profit founder, and social-change agent. Employed at the Peoria County Jail, she counsels detainees and assists with crisis management. She also owns Smart Recovery Intervention Counseling Center, where she counsels children, adolescents and adults; counsels people worldwide through tele-health; and as founder and president of the nonprofit It Takes a Village of Peoria, Inc., helps families with basic needs at no cost. Dr. Gordon-Young serves on numerous boards such as Illinois Opioid Remediation Advisory Board, Health and Human Services Committee of the Racial Justice Commission for the City of Peoria, Central Illinois Friends, the Women’s Fund, Central Illinois Lupus Support Group, and Central Illinois Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and has received numerous awards.

John Kelly

Elected to his first term on the City Council four years ago, Kelly is an Army veteran and had a 40-year career as a financial advisor in Peoria. He is married and has four grown children and five grandchildren. His primary focus on the Council has been the improvement of Peoria’s climate for investment, which would result in more jobs, innovation, population, and revitalization, while resulting in less un- and underemployment, poverty, and crime.

Lawrence Maushard

A writer and human rights activist, Maushard has worked in occupied Palestine, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Sandinista Nicaragua, East bloc Hungary, Mubarek’s Egypt, Boston, Portland, Chicago, Peoria, and more. He ran for Peoria City Council twice previously.

 

Benjamin R. Nicks Jr.

A program manager for the Illinois Department of Employment Security Northwest Region and Navy veteran, Nicks earned a bachelor’s in business administration and a master’s in public administration and formerly taught in Peoria Public Schools. Also Pastor of St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church on the South Side, he’s a board member of Peoria Community Against Violence and Stepping 4orward Together. He says, “My goal is to troubleshoot issues between the community and the council, ensuring that people’s voices are heard.” He and his wife Sparkle have six children.

Zach Oyler

A real estate agent and former Caterpillar employee, Oyler has served on
the Peoria City Council since elected in 2017.

 

 

Anu Uddavolu

A one-time New York City lawyer, Uddavolu moved to Peoria to raise her family. After working as a pro bono attorney for Prairie State Legal Services, she became a supply-chain contract administrator at OSF HealthCare. “Serving my community has been my passion,” says Uddavolu, who is a Board Member of CFCI Women’s Fund, Women in Leadership of Central Illinois, and AHA Go Red for Women. For more, go to anuforpeoria.com

Clara Underwood-Forman

Underwood-Forman is the pastor of the Potter’s House International in South Peoria. Go to www.facebook.com/100088424365624/videos/694978482422607/

 

 

 

Kiran Velpula

A seasoned professional with expertise in the entrepreneurial and healthcare industries, Velpula was appointed to the council seat in 2021. He has a clear vision to transform Peoria into the leading destination for biotech and healthcare in the Midwest. With his profound knowledge and experience in both fields, Velpula is determined to drive innovation and growth, paving the way for Peoria’s bright future in the biotech and healthcare sectors.

Mike Vespa

An attorney with Hanauer Law Office and a former assistant Peoria County public defender, Vespa also has served as a City of Peoria traffic commissioner. His website is vespa2023.com