Marjorie A. Manchen

Marjorie A. Manchen, JD, MMC, was appointed Clerk of the Village of River Grove in early 2009, was elected in April 2009 and re-elected in 2013, 2017, and 2021. She is a graduate of the Municipal Clerks of Illinois Institute, an intensive course that is administered over a 3-year period by the University of Illinois in Springfield, Illinois. Marjorie has earned her designations as a Master Municipal Clerk (MMC) by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC), and as a Registered Municipal Clerk (RMC) by the Municipal Clerks of Illinois. She is one of only 39 MMCs in the State of Illinois. Marjorie is a member of both associations as well as the Municipal Clerks' Association of the North and Northwest Suburbs, Cook County, Illinois (NNWCCMA), in which she has served as vice president for numerous years.

Background

With respect to her background, Marjorie was born in Oak Park and attended Ascension Grammar School until her family moved to Elmwood Park. She graduated from St. Vincent Ferrer grammar school in River Forest and Mother Theodore Guerin High School in River Grove (which later became known as Guerin College Prep). After high school, she graduated cum laude from Western Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Law Enforcement Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in both French and Political Science. Marjorie also holds a Juris Doctorate from the Northern Illinois University School of Law.

As a licensed attorney for more than 30 years, Marjorie concentrated her practice with Smith and Smith law offices in domestic relations (family law) and municipal law; she is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association. In May 2017, Marjorie was appointed Village Treasurer and executive administrator in the Mayor’s Office of the Village of Schiller Park, where she also works as Deputy Liquor and Video Gaming Commissioner, as well as special events coordinator and business licensing administrator. Marjorie’s prior legal background also includes being a partner with the law office of O’Donnell, Grady, and Manchen; a Graduate Assistant for the N.I.U. Center for Governmental Studies; an intern with the Winnebago County State’s Attorney Office, the law firm of Garretson and Santoro and the U.S Department of Justice, Executive Office of the U.S Trustee; a Research Analyst Intern for the Chicago Crime Commission; an Investigator/Security Supervisor for Arapaho Investigations. She also had 5 years of service with State Farm Insurance as a Senior Claims Adjustor prior to attending law school.

Community Services

Marjorie has been an appointed Commissioner to the Cook County Commission on Women’s Issues since 2008, representing the 9th District of Cook County. Marjorie also currently serves as the President of the River Grove Lions Club, which has approximately 100 members and is the largest Lions Club in Illinois. Additionally, she was the Chair of the Elmwood Park Plan, Zoning and Development Commission for 8 of the 12 years that she served on the Commission prior to moving to River Grove. Marjorie’s other community services and activities include being a member of the River Park Moose, a volunteer for Special Olympics Illinois, Chicago Area, and the Glass Slipper Project. She is a past board member of the Elmwood Park Civic Foundation; Chair of the Taste of Elmwood Park Volunteer Committee; former Wish-Granter for the Make-A-Wish Foundation; and was a Court Appointed Special Advocate in Kane County. She also served nine years on the Guerin Alumnae Board (including chair), and more than nine years as a Director on the Board of Directors of Guerin College Preparatory High School.

Personal

Marjorie has been married for 24 years to Bart Smith who was born and raised in River Grove. Bart practices law with Marjorie and also his father, Harry Smith, Jr., who has been a lawyer for more than 50 years, and who continues to reside in River Grove with his wife, Becky.