TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF APRIL 17, 2025
COMMITTEE ON PENSION, HUMAN RESOURCES AND CIVIL SERVICE
Honorable Kari K. Steele, President and Members of the Board of Commissioners
Title
Request for advice and consent to the reappointment of Kevin L. Hopkins and Trisha M. Rich as Commissioners on MWRD’s Ethics Commission for two-year terms pursuant to the Ethics Ordinance
Body
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Advice and consent are requested to reappoint Kevin L. Hopkins and Trisha M. Rich as Commissioners on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago’s Ethics Commission (“Ethics Commission”) for two-year terms pursuant to the Ethics Ordinance. Mr. Hopkins and Ms. Rich have served on the Ethics Commission since the Board of Commissioners (“Board”) initially granted its advice and consent for their appointments on April 15, 2021. The Board again gave its advice and consent for their reappointments on January 5, 2023.
Ethics Commissioners are appointed pursuant to the requirements of the Ethics Ordinance which requires the Executive Director to recommend appointments with the consent of the Board. Commissioners may be appointed or re-appointed to two-year terms. The Ethics Commissioners are compensated on a per-hour basis of $125.00 for hearings and $100.00 for preparation and non-hearing time. To maintain consistency on the Commission, all three Ethics Commissioners’ terms do not expire at the same time. Mr. Hopkins and Ms. Rich’s terms currently expire on May 16, 2025.
Therefore, advice and consent are requested to reappoint Mr. Kevin L. Hopkins as a Commissioner of the MWRD Ethics Commission to a two-year term expiring on May 16, 2027. Mr. Hopkins is a professor at UIC Law School who has taught torts, professional responsibility, and legal writing. He has published numerous articles on legal ethics and has ably performed his duties as Ethics Commissioner since 2021.
Advice and consent are also requested to reappoint Ms. Trisha M. Rich as a Commissioner of the MWRD Ethics Commission to a two-year term expiring on May 16, 2027. Ms. Rich is in private practice and her practice focuses on legal ethics and professional responsibility matters. She also serves as the Professional Responsibility Partner for her firm’s Chicago office and has ably performed her duties as Ethics Commissioner and Chair since 2021.
I hereby seek the advice and consent of the Board of Commissioners, as to the reappointment of Kevin L. Hopkins and Trisha M. Rich as Commissioners to MWRD’s Ethics Commission for two-year terms pursuant to the Ethics Ordinance.
Recommended, John P. Murray, Acting Executive Director, STM:EMA:nl
Disposition of this agenda item will be documented in the official Regular Board Meeting Minutes of the Board of Commissioners for April 17, 2025