Four candidates for three open seats on DeForest village board

There are three seats to be filled on the DeForest Village Board of Trustees in the upcoming April 2. spring election. Current trustee Brian Taylor has declined to run for reelection, meanwhile incumbent candidates Colleen Little and Bill Landgraf will be on the ballot.

Write-in candidates Sheila Howe and Dr. Taysheedra Allen have also stepped up to the plate. Their names won’t appear on the ballot, so residents will have to write them in to cast a vote if they choose to.

This is an at-large race, meaning that the top three vote getters of the four candidates will be elected.

All four of them took time to respond to a few prompts from The Times-Tribune.

Tell us about yourself and your education/professional experience.

Little: I am 68 years old and have been a homeowner here since 1990. I was with the Middleton Police Department for 22 years as a dispatcher, patrol officer, detective and EMT. I was a deputy coroner/death investigator with the Dane County Coroner/Medical Examiner’s Office for 10 years. In retirement, I work part time for Cress Funeral Home and volunteer at SSM Health at Home Hospice. I am currently serving my fourth term as a Village trustee. I sit on the Public Safety Commission and DeForest Windsor Fire and EMS District Board. I am originally a farm girl from Fond du Lac County.

Allen: I’m an active homeowner and resident of DeForest for the past 17 years. I have raised three children in DeForest. I’m a registered nurse with over 23 years in the industry and over 10 years of nursing instruction experience. I am the founder and CEO of the Women’s Place and Resource Center (WPRC) a local 501c3 nonprofit located in DeForest. I hold a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing, Master’s of Science in Nursing, Master’s of Business Administration and Doctorate in Educational Leadership. I have also worked as a substitute teacher and nurse for the DeForest Area School District.

Landgraf: I’ve been a resident of the Village of DeForest for 37 years. My wife, Peggy, and I have raised two children, now adults well on their own journey. I recently turned 65 and worked in the transportation industry for 36 years and have been retired for 6 years. I’ve served as a trustee for 6 years, 2 years from 2002-2004 and 4 years from 2020-2024.

Howe: I’ve been a Deforest resident for 13 years and had a child in the school district. During this time I’ve been a work-at-home mom selling antiques on EBay, also working as professional in the Healing Arts for the last 30 years. I’ve been an artist all of my life and have learned to run my own business and be creative in all aspects of living.

What are your goals for DeForest?

Little: The days of the volunteer fire/EMS department are over. We are lucky to have paramedic level EMS service here, which is the most sophisticated you can have prior to the emergency room. However, our fire department needs more firefighters with better pay in a very competitive market. There is only one office support person, and they need more. Subdivision growth is necessitating a satellite station further south in the next few years. These are costs that are shared with Windsor; however, they are Village budget items with a cost to Village taxpayers.

As always, providing top of the line services to our residents with as little tax impact as possible, maintaining and protecting our natural spaces. I would love to find a grocery store willing to come to town. I am looking forward to changes in the downtown area and continuation of our public art efforts.

Allen: DeForest continues to be a rapidly growing and developing community. Rapid growth and development is often hard. Therefore, one of my goals is to work hard to offer a collective voice which balances the need for growth and development and also honor the desire to maintain and sustain that hometown field. No change is easy, there are always growing pains. I believe elected officials must seek, solicit, and reach out for all the voices of the community. It is our job to find a way to make sure that we capture the collective voices and perspectives across DeForest.

Landgraf: My hope is to retain what I and others have decided when we moved here: a safe, quiet and convenient place to call home. My hope is to maintain that character as the inevitable grow occurs here. I want to continue to strive for openness in decisions made at the Village level. I want residents to be able to get accurate information, whether a service is changed or added or something that might affect their neighborhood.

Howe: My main goal for Deforest is to work together in regards to the inevitable growth. I feel that many voices need to be heard and taken into consideration when making decisions that will affect the community as a whole.

What do you think makes you a good candidate?

Little: Being on the board for the last 8 years has given me the advantage of continuity and institutional knowledge, knowing what plans were made, which have been implemented, and what plans are for the future. I look at all decisions in terms of what is best for the whole village, and not just special interests. I am willing to hear a citizen’s concerns any time. I like to think I am level headed, have common sense and rationality and know a need from a want. I am aware that we have Village staff that is dedicated to what is right and fair and work hard for the citizens. I would like to continue this relationship another term.

Allen: As a former trustee, I have served on the board and understand the practices and formalities. I have also served on a variety of committees while on and off the village board. I’m an experienced nurse and nursing instructor with over 20 years in the industry. I am an entrepreneur with a focus on community and the greater good. I use my education, skills and experiences to help others and to grow strong sustainable communities. I am skilled in communication, collaboration, personal and professional development. I’m fueled with a deep commitment and passion for the DeForest community.

Landgraf: I come prepared for meetings and actually go out and get my shoes dirty looking at issues that come before us. I encourage and respond to inquiries made by residents on what their concerns and wishes are. I pushed and made it possible for those that can’t attend meetings in person to be able to view the meetings at their leisure at a later date. I seek out and get opinions on issues from both sides, whether from residents or those looking to come here and change our community. I’m always responsive in an honest manner in why I voted on a particular issue.

Howe: What makes me a good candidate is that I’m a great listener. I will listen carefully to all residents who voice their concerns. I’m very intuitive and compassionate to people’s needs. Being a self starter with a love of researching, I look forward to reading the agenda packets of information and asking questions in order to make educated opinions prior to voting on issues. I follow through with all my commitments.

If you could make one change in DeForest right now, what would it be?

Little: I wish I could make housing more affordable for the traditional, old definition of middle class, those earning (roughly) $60,000 to $100,000 a year.

Allen: We have teachers, firefighters, service workers and many other hard working people that work in DeForest; however, they can not afford to live in DeForest. Each person is vital to the growth and development of the community. These individuals offer unique contributions and add so much value to the DeForest community. One change I would make would be to find a way for hardworking individuals in DeForest to live where they work and work where they live.

Landgraf: We as a Village need to explore the best way to get information out to residents. The methods people use to be informed varies. After our Strategic Planning sessions last year we are exploring the best ways to do this. A revamped website, easier to navigate will be released soon. We need more engagement to positively move DeForest forward.

Howe: I would love to see our green spaces conserved. Having our conservation areas clearly defined with proper designation and signage is important. For the children in the community a pump track/ skate park in the downtown area would be ideal as there’s already funding and space set aside for it. The exciting prospect of a place dedicated to mountain biking in DeForest is a project that needs special consideration. Funding from grants and private donors should be considered if available.