Meet Maria

Maria was born in Royal Oak, Michigan, the second of six children. Her father was a radio announcer and her mother was a full-time homemaker. When she was 8, the family moved to Illinois where she attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help Grade School and Marillac High School (now Loyola Academy).

Maria went on to Loras College and then completed her degree in Economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

She and her husband Ray have been happily married for 29 years and have three grown children. Ray Rodriguez is self employed in the Financial Services industry. He has served as president of RAR Service Group, Inc. since 1985. Ray is also a partner in a small manufacturing business.

While raising their family, Maria enjoyed volunteering with many school, community and church organizations. She also worked part-time as Liturgy Coordinator for St. Mary Catholic Church in Buffalo Grove.

Maria is currently serving a second term as Village President of Long Grove, Illinois. Last April, she was re-elected without opposition during a time when the majority of incumbent Mayors in surrounding villages lost their seats. Maria was also elected as Village Clerk of Long Grove and then went on to serve as a Village Trustee when her children were younger.

When Maria began her first term as Mayor, Long Grove faced several challenges. It is through a growing cooperative spirit among a diverse group of concerned citizens that unprecedented changes have occurred. The restoration project for the Historic Business District has moved forward with only minor delays due to the recession. We continue to work hard to keep our businesses in business. Some of the more significant accomplishments during Maria’s administration are:

• Hired consultants to develop a Master Plan for the restoration of the HBD, the Village Board agreed to pay $211 Thousand dollars—unprecedented cooperation on the part of the Village Board.
• Planned new road to allow better parking and 4 new building pads in the downtown
• New parking lots offer better drainage and reconfigured, more convenient parking.
• Established the LONG GROVE BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS (LGBCP), a 501C3 to combine the Property Owners, Merchants, and Village Government as one cooperative organization. Established a Special Service Area to fund the organization—unprecedented cooperation.
• Passed a TIF district coordinated with the development of a large parcel of farmland on the outskirts of town—first in Village history. TIF funding will pay for restoration of the HBD
• Established an SSA to support the cost of new deep well water system to service the new Sunset Groves development and the downtown. System will be designed with potential to expand where needed into the residential areas.
• Installed a gravitational feed sewer as part of the Menards project offering potential sanitary sewer service to residents in the southern part of the village.
• No new litigation since taking office.
• Approached by the EPA about pilot program showcasing how sustainable development can be used to accomplish economic development.