John Jacoby has lived in Wilmette for almost 50 years. While practicing law with a Chicago firm, he actively participated in the civic life of the village, serving as Park District Commissioner (1979–1981), Village Trustee (1981–1989, 2004–2005), and Village President (1989–1997). In 1999 he was named Wilmette’s Citizen of the Year. Recently, he served as chair of the Village’s Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave Task Force, and he is currently co-chair of the Sesquicentennial Planning Committee. From 2010 to 2020 he was a contributing columnist for the Wilmette Beacon, writing a weekly column about local history and current issues.