Young, elected, and showing up. Host Hugh Plappert sits down with Dominik Bronakowski, the elected City Clerk of Des Plaines, sworn in at 24 and proud to be the youngest elected citywide official in Des Plaines history. Dominik shares how wearing many hats opened doors, from working full-time in the Illinois State legislature on constituent services and outreach to evenings and weekends in the clerk’s office. From ageism on the campaign trail to proving himself day in and day out, Dominik focuses on transparency, accessibility, and competitive elections. He talks about rolling out translation services for non-English speakers, making it easier for candidates to get on the ballot, and showing up to every city council meeting to learn how government works. His message to young people is simple: show up.

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👤 Guest Bio

Dominik Bronakowski is the elected City Clerk of Des Plaines. Sworn in at 24, he is the youngest elected citywide official in Des Plaines history. He also works in the Illinois State legislature for a state representative in the Lake County area, handling constituent services, outreach, and district office work. Dominik serves at city council meetings, community events, and leads initiatives around accessibility and elections while collaborating with strong staff in the clerk’s office.

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📌 What We Cover

• Wearing multiple hats: full-time in the Illinois State legislature and part-time as City Clerk
• Showing up to every city council meeting to learn how government works and operates
• Navigating ageism and proving capability by doing the work day in and day out
• Transparency, accessibility, and competitive elections as priorities beyond the status quo
• Rolling out onsite translation services to support non-English speakers at City Hall
• Creating candidate guides to make it easier to get on the ballot locally
• Community connection through farmers’ markets, permitting and licensing, and liquor licenses
• Mentorship from Mayor Andrew Goczkowski and State Senator Laura Murphy

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🔗 Resources Mentioned

• City of Des Plaines
• Des Plaines City Council meetings
• Planning and Zoning Board
• Mayor Andrew Goczkowski
• State Senator Laura Murphy
• Lake Michigan
• Deputy FOIA officer
• Farmers’ markets