About Trudy Zaja

Trudy on the Poplar Creek prairie preserve

Trudy Zaja has lived in Hanover Township since 1989.  She holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University and a post-baccalaureate certificate in accounting from Indiana University. Trudy’s professional experience includes terms of service at American Management Systems, a business and information technology consulting firm, as well as the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and the Cook County Board of Review.

Trudy is deeply committed to the betterment of her community. Her favorite quote is from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Trudy has served as a Democratic election judge since 1992, and her voting record shows that she has consistently participated in Democratic primaries as well as general and local elections throughout that time. For the last several years, Trudy has served as treasurer on the board of directors of The Literacy Connection, a charitable organization that serves sixteen communities, and in 2009 she was elected president of the Tiffany Place Homeowner’s Association in Streamwood. Trudy also fulfills her love of nature by volunteering for the Poplar Creek Prairie Stewards.

In 2006, Trudy helped to establish Hanover Township Democrats and Independents (HanDI), a grass-roots group affiliated with Democracy for America, a nation-wide, progressive political alliance.  HanDI was formed in response to years of inactivity on the part of the township’s official Democratic leadership – a situation that persists to this day. Under the guidance of Trudy and her fellow HanDI volunteers, the group has reached out to local Democratic voters, held candidate and issue forums, campaigned for candidates from the national to the local levels, and organized social activities. You can learn more about HanDI’s work at their website and read the organization’s financial disclosure reports on the Illinois State Board of Elections website (committee #13388).

As committeeman, Trudy Zaja will use her energy and experience to unite the Democrats of Hanover Township and continue inspiring citizens to become more involved in public life.