I worked with Laura on the LSC at Lincoln Park High School. She was always willing to roll up her sleeves and step up wherever needed, and she asks thoughtful questions to fully understand what needs to be addressed rather than rushing to act. Any neighborhood would be lucky to have her as their alderperson.

In my experience working with Laura as Chair of the Lincoln Park LSC,  she brings a rare combination of strong leadership, fairness, and empathy. She navigates challenging discussions with calm and professionalism, while ensuring all voices are heard and decisions are made with integrity. Her commitment to people and community is clear in everything she does.

As our Lincoln Park High School LSC chair, Laura has proven herself to be an organized, solution-oriented leader who always puts the students and community first.

She isn’t afraid to speak up for what is right, and she bypasses the blaming game so we can focus on how to fix a problem.

Laura has served as LSC Chair and on the Budget Committee. Laura is always prepared, dependable, and willing to put the needs of our students first, keeping meetings organized, making sure members are informed, and helping move our school forward. Her dedication goes beyond words.  Laura Yepez represents what true community leadership looks like: dedication, compassion, accountability, and action.

I had the pleasure of serving with Laura for two years on the Local School Council for Lincoln Park High School. She stepped up to take on the demanding, often thankless role of LSC Chair and led with exceptional preparation, optimism, a focus on finding wins for students and the school, and a keen ability to master the details without losing sight of the bigger picture. Given her commitment to public service, I believe she will be a great asset to the 1st Ward.

I’ve known Laura for years, first through the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber and then as a fellow board member for six years. I’ve watched her build the Wicker Park Inn into a neighborhood staple while raising her family right here in the ward she now wants to represent. Laura understands what it actually takes to run a small business in Chicago: the permits, the payroll, the 2am problems nobody sees. We need that lived experience in City Hall. As a business owner, mother, and someone who has put down real roots in this community, Laura will bring a voice to the 1st Ward that’s been missing. She has my full support, and I hope she has yours too.

Laura’s background is unusually well-rounded for public service: her years in HR taught her how to listen and manage conflict with care; her experience running small businesses gave her a real, practical understanding of what it takes to keep a neighborhood economy healthy; and raising a family has grounded her in the everyday concerns of the people she’d be serving. That combination has given her sharp problem-solving instincts and a genuine empathy that I’ve watched benefit our community time and again.

For all these reasons, I strongly endorse Laura Yepez to lead us as our next alderperson in the 1st Ward. I am confident she will ensure a productive and prosperous future for our neighborhood and the city of Chicago.

I have been a home and business owner in the first ward for over twenty years respectively. I started my business when Laura owned the Alliance Bakery and felt immediately welcomed and supported by her neighboring business. I greatly value the relationships I have made along the way. Over those twenty years I have been privileged to live and work in the community with Laura Yepez. I have watched her work tirelessly to keep a business going and raise her children through pandemic and economic hardship. She has a wonderful work ethic and a tremendous sense of community spirit. It’s with great pleasure that I fully support and endorse Laura for the position of alderwoman of the first ward.