Good day, fellow Palos Park residents. Please allow me to introduce

myself and my family. My name is Rebecca Petan. I am your

Commissioner of Public Works and Recreation.

I grew up in South Holland, and attended Thornwood High School. I

graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a M.S. in Education. I taught

for several years in Northlake before my late husband, Paul Petan, and I

started a family. I served 9 years on the Library Board and 118 PFA. In

2015, I became a certified yoga instructor. My hobbies include gardening,

reading, kayaking, paddle boarding, yoga, and walking the Paddock Woods

or Swallow Cliff. I also spend time in Indiana at our lake cottage.

We first moved to Palos Park in 1991 because of Paul. Many of our dates

were spent getting ice cream at the Plush Horse and driving through the

Park, admiring the homes and beauty of the properties. We bought our first

house in Palos Park on 119th Street, west of 86th Avenue. During this

time Paul served on the Palos Park Zoning Board and Plan Commission.

He was also involved with the McCord House amongst other local

organizations.

We lived on 119th Street for 15 years before moving to my current

residence on Iroquois Road, just behind Plush Horse. The move to our

second home in Palos Park was to accommodate our four children: Gianna

(29), Maria (28), Paul (26), and Anthony (20). All four kids attended Palos East and Palos South. The girls went to Marist High School and the boys followed in their father’s footsteps and

attended St. Laurence High School in Burbank. All of our kids were heavily

involved in sports, playing basketball, football, and lacrosse.

My oldest daughter, Gianna, is a graduate of Western Michigan. She

and her husband Kyle married in 2021 and they currently reside in

Shorewood. They keep busy with 3 dogs, 2 cats, and a horse! My second

eldest, Maria, attended St. Louis University. She lives in the Gold Coast

area in downtown Chicago with her 2 cats working for SiriusXM.

My son, Paul, is a Detective for the Alsip Police Department.

He graduated from Illinois State University. He and our dog Dexter, a 4-

year-old Labrador Retriever, enjoy fishing and hunting. Our youngest,

Anthony, will be entering his junior year at the University of Illinois studying

Finance.

When our family is together you’ll find there is no shortage of

laughing, sarcasm, and lots of food. No Petan family gathering is

complete without the chaos of our beloved four-legged family members. A

strong Italian influence has always been apparent in our home. Our

favorite family tradition is making homemade ravioli for Thanksgiving.

While making what we have endearingly nicknamed “ravs”, you’ll hear

Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra playing in the background.

From the early ice cream dates with my husband, I have always adored

our village, the village staff, and nature. It truly is a unique find. As

Commissioner, I am honored and humbled to serve the residents of Palos

Park. I can assure you Palos Park has the best staff, a Mayor, and Council

that work for you, and I look forward to the future.

Thank you for taking the time to get to know me and my family, and I

sincerely look forward to the opportunity to get to know you and yours.

May God bless you and keep you healthy.