Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
Running for village clerk of Addison never crossed Lucille Zucchero’s mind, but the nine-term veteran of the position says that she has loved her job from day one.
As liaison between the village’s staff and board of trustees, Zucchero has helped countless people navigate their way through a variety of issues. After 35 years on the job, people recognize her when she’s out and about.
“I’m frequently stopped by residents with questions, concerns and opinions that I bring to the staff and board,” she says. “My relationship and trust with residents is very important to me.”
Zucchero grew up in Chicago, first on the Southwest Side, and after age 10 on the Northwest Side, closer to father’s office. Her Italian heritage traces back to ancestors who moved to the United States in the late 1800s. She and her late husband, Dominic, moved to Addison in 1969.
After working for a travel agency, Zucchero was hired by the village of Addison in 1977 as administrative secretary in the Engineering Department, later renamed the Community Development Department.
When Mayor Anthony Russotto ran for a second term in 1989, he asked Zucchero to run for the position of village clerk. “I was quite surprised and concerned,” she recalls. “I had 12 years seniority and did not want to lose that,” she explains, adding she really liked her job in the Engineering Department.
However, Mayor Russotto and the village board had a vision for the future of Addison that really resonated with her. Russotto told Zucchero she could help bring that vision to fruition.
“I felt their ideas were the right direction to move the village of Addison forward, so I talked to my husband and kids, and here I am as clerk,” she says.
Zucchero was elected to her first term in 1989 and re-elected every four years through 2021. The job is certainly challenging, but the more effort it takes, the more rewarding it is, she says.
Zucchero also serves as chairperson for the PACE Citizens Advisory Board and is involved in a number of civic organizations, including the Kiwanis, the Women’s Club of Addison, Village of Addison Sister Cities (which she helped start), the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, the former Elmhurst Hospital’s board of governors, DuPage Municipal Clerks, Municipal Clerks of Illinois and the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, among others.
“If I can help, I’m there,” she says.
What is she most proud of? First of all, it’s her family and the love they share, she says. “And helping to make a difference in my community,” she adds, “and helping to make life better for my family, and families in the community.”
So what are Zucchero’s future plans? “Well, today was a great day and tomorrow can be even better,” she says. “Let’s make it better together.”
