St. Charles City Council members appoint new Natural Resources Commission member

St. Charles City Council members approved Mayor Lora Vitek’s recommendation to appoint a new Natural Resource Commission member at the Sept. 5 meeting.

Jeffrey Mengler was appointed as a St. Charles Natural Resources Commission member in a unanimous vote without discussion.

The vacancy was created after Michael Stroud resigned after a recent weapons charge. Mangler will complete the three-year term of his predecessor. The term ends April 30, 2026.

Mengler has 37 years of experience as an ecologist and environmental scientist in the Chicago area. He has worked with private, nonprofit and government organizations in research, management, restoration, protection and assessment of Midwestern ecosystems and natural resources.

He has a master’s degree in biological sciences from Northern Illinois University and has been involved with several environmental and natural resource committees, societies and associations since the 1980s.

Mengler works as a senior project scientist for ecological consulting and landscape architecture firm Hey and Associates Inc. in Volo.

Mengler has worked on multiple projects in Kane County during his career. He played an integral role in the creation of the Fox River Ecosystem Partnership, a local, nonprofit, watershed-based organization founded in 1996, of which he has served as president since 2016.

Mengler and his family have lived in St. Charles for 37 years. Both of his children graduated from District 303 schools and his wife of 38 years is a special education teacher at East Aurora High School.

After the meeting, Mengler said he was glad to be appointed and is looking forward to the opportunity to put his background to good use for the community.