Mayor Leon Rockingham, Jr. - A Lifetime of Public Service

Mayor Leon Rockingham, Jr. is currently serving his sixth term. The Mayor is a lifelong resident of North Chicago and his passion for the city and its citizens is reflected in his commitment to serve them everyday to the best of his abilities. Currently, Mayor Rockingham is spearheading a city-wide rebranding initiative. This involves implementing a new logo and slogan that will help to influence how citizens, community members , and those outside of North Chicago, think about when they hear the name, "North Chicago."

Rebranding the city is all about changing perceptions.  Ultimately, our new brand gives our city, our businesses, and our residents a new story. to talk about—a story that aligns with our community values, our history, and our hopes for the future.

Leon Rockingham is a retired Systems Technician from AT&T with a tenure of 31 years. He served as North Chicago’s 4th Ward Alderman for 12 years, from 1989 until 2001. He served as a Commissioner on the East Skokie Drainage District and was a member of the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County and is serving on the Lake County Storm Water Agency, where he returned in 2010 as a Board Member and continues to serve in this capacity to-date.

He is married to Yvonne Rockingham and graduated from North Chicago Community High School and attended Ohio University. Leon has two daughters, Tameka (Sean) Wilson and Lea (Lamar) Huley. He is a loving and proud grandfather of six and a great-grandfather of two. Mayor Rockingham is a faithful member of the Mount Sinai Institutional Baptist Church of North Chicago where he serves on the Ushers’ Ministry.

Here are a Few Key Accomplishments:

  • Implemented fundamental changes within the operations of the North Chicago Police Department that have resulted in stronger relationships and trust between the City/Police Department and members of the North Chicago community
  • Obtained funding for opioid addiction counseling/community resource room.
  • Led consolidation efforts between the North Chicago emergency dispatch services and the Village of Mundelein police dispatch center.  The consolidated effort brought improved service to residents with better trained dispatch operators and additional cost savings for taxpayers. The City of North Chicago realized an approximate savings of $500,000 in the first year of the consolidation agreement
  • Worked in collaboration with the City of Waukegan to create an enterprise zone as a way to incentives new businesses to locate within the community
  • Led the annexation of property into North Chicago, along Waukegan Road for housing complex development, which includes; Deer Valley, The Hamptons, and Stradford Court
  • Acquired funding for the purchase and installation of police surveillance cameras throughout the city to combat crime
  • Led contract negotiations with Abbott on its purchasing agreement regarding sales tax revenue
  • Overseeing the exciting and transformative development now known as "Sheridan Crossing."
  • Negotiated annexing of 40 acres on RT 41 into North Chicago
  • Negotiated a rate reduction through Northern Illinois Municipal Electronic Cooperative (NIMEC) for North Chicago residents and small businesses
  • Acquired a $10,000,000 grant for the reconstruction of Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive
  • Founder of the Annual Community Days for North Chicago Citizens, the only citywide festival
  • Instrumental in obtaining fair assessment of property values for taxation purposes in the privatization of naval housing during negotiations with the U.S. Navy
  • Supported the implementation of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts 
  • Demolished abandoned and blighted buildings throughout the city which has dramatically increased property values
  • Assisted the school board in acquiring $1.6 million in annual funding from the Federal and State levels for North Chicago Unit School District 187
  • Supported the construction of Fire Station No. 2, west of Route 41
  • Arranged introduction of U-Verse (AT&T cable TV) into the community. The first community in the Midwest to offer such service
  • Obtained 12 million dollars for the renovation of the North Chicago Water Plant in 1989 positioning North Chicago’s water plant as a revenue source beyond North Chicago’s borders

Mayor Rockingham is active within Lake County and beyond.  Currently he sits on numerous boards in his on-going commitment to positively promote the City of North Chicago and improve the quality of life for its residents. Some of these boards included:

  • Illinois Municipal League Past President-served as the statewide organization’s first African American President, from 2019 to 2020.  Served as Vice President and a member of the Executive Committee on the IML Board of Directors first joining the board in 2008.  Under Mayor Rockingham’s leadership, the IML focused on providing accurate and timely updates regarding the response to and recovery from the outbreak of COVID-19 in Illinois.  Additionally, during Mayor Rockingham’s tenure with IML, legislation was enacted consolidating the investment authority of the more than 650 downstate public safety pension funds.  In 2020, the Illinois General Assembly eliminated the “off the top” cuts to the local share of the state income tax.
  • CMAP–1st Vice-Chair, Council of Mayors Executive Committee, Alternate Rep. Transportation and MPO Policy Committee, and member of the Unified Work Program (UWP) Committee - Participation in this organization enabled North Chicago to receive the grant funding which led to the reconstruction and improvement of Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.
  • Lake County Council of Mayors, Chairman - Provides input into the region’s transportation policy decision, facilitates communication between local government and regional transportation agencies, establishes the priorities to implement transportation projects, formalizing input from municipalities and insures regional equity in planning and funding decisions.
  • Lake County Storm Water Management Board
  • Community Action Partnership, Board of Directors
  • Exchange Club of North Chicago, Co-Founder and Board of Directors
  • Honorary Member of the North Chicago Rotary Club
  • Boy Scouts of America Northeast Illinois Council, Executive Board. Mayor Rockingham has achieved the highest rank of Eagle Scout and serves as a role model for local participants in this national organization.

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