Board of Directors
Matthew Bajor
Matthew Bajor serves as the Assistant to the Village Manager in Algonquin, Illinois, where he leads initiatives in performance management, artificial intelligence, and community engagement. He is passionate about transparency and strengthening the community’s ability to engage with their local government in clear and meaningful ways. As a volunteer, Matthew has participated in peer review programs offered through GFOA and has served as a member of the ICMA Performance Management Advisory Committee. He holds a Master of Public Administration from Northern Illinois University and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences from Loyola University Chicago. In his free time, Matthew enjoys spending time with family, staying active outdoors, and working on his home.
Term ends: June 30, 2028
Mike Ekey, Vice Chair
Mike Ekey serves as the Assistant City Manager in Belton, Missouri. With more than a decade of public service in local government and higher education, Ekey has served in a variety of roles in communities around his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri. Before getting into public service, Ekey served as a City Hall reporter for the Kansas City Star and editor of the Northeast News. Following journalism, he worked in the marketing office for Metropolitan Community College and taught communications and technology classes there for five years. Ekey holds a bachelor's in journalism from the University of Missouri and a master's in public administration from Park University. Although not an official title, he will also tell anyone willing to listen about his LEGO collection and how he is a top 50 LEGO Master Builder.
Term ends: June 30, 2027
Matt Horn
Matt Horn is the Director for Strategic Growth and Development for MRB Group – a nationwide local government services firm, focusing on infrastructure, placemaking, community development, and operational excellence. Matt has served local governments for over 20 years in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. He has served stints as a City Manager, ACM, and department head for communities throughout the U.S. Matt’s passion for total community health drive him to study and shape policy in the areas of economic development, downtown revitalization, and housing and neighborhoods. Matt earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration from James Madison University (Go Dukes!) and has completed coursework toward an MBA at the University of South Carolina. He resides in the fabulous Finger Lakes region of upstate New York with his (self-described) amazing family!
Term ends: June 30, 2028
Cassie Johnson, Treasurer
Cassie Johnson is the Director of the Strategic Initiatives Division for the City of Scottsdale in the Police Department. She oversees the Planning, Research, & Accreditation, Budget & Finance, and Records sections in this role. Cassie oversees many high-profile projects for the department with expertise in the areas of performance measures, strategic planning, process improvement, workload analysis, policy, UCR, and data analytics. She manages the department’s law enforcement accreditation process (both CALEA and ALEAP) and supports other state agencies as the President of the Arizona Police Accreditation. She is a team leader on the City’s High Performance & Innovation Team and a What Works Cities certification team member. She holds a master’s in public administration from Arizona State University and a master’s in Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School. She loves to travel, dabbles in both cooking and baking, and is a big fan of iced coffee.
Term ends: June 30, 2026
Josie Peery
Josie Peery is an Account Executive at Spatial Data Logic, where she gets to do her favorite thing: help local governments solve problems and serve their communities through technology. Before SDL, she worked for the City of West Lafayette on community development projects and led one of Indiana’s most charming civic treasures — the local farmers market. She’s also spent time in D.C. working with nonprofits, think tanks, and government agencies to make policy actually work for people. Josie studied Political Science, Philosophy, and Economics at Taylor University. She was also named a 2025 ELGL Top Influencer in Local Government. As an ELGL member, she served on the events committee for three years and helped plan ELGL’s Phoenix and Santa Rosa conferences. Josie now lives in Fort Wayne with her husband (who is unfairly brilliant), their two dogs, and an ever-growing list of hobbies — including baking sourdough, reading good books, and watching just one more reality show episode.
Term ends: June 30, 2028
Meredith Reynolds, Chair
Meredith Reynolds currently serves as a Deputy City Manager in Long Beach, CA and throughout her local government career, Meredith has worked on critical efforts in community services, parks and open space, sustainability, economic recovery, and innovation. Previously, Meredith served as the Long Beach Park Planning and Partnerships Manager and Park Development Officer. During the pandemic, she was reassigned to the Long Beach Health Department and was entrusted with the critical responsibility for standing up COVID-19 testing sites across Long Beach. She also served as the Community Services Manager and Environmental Programs Administrator for the City of Irvine. Meredith’s early career was spent as the first team of Sustainability Coordinators with the Long Beach Office of Sustainability and she started her career in the City of Long Beach’s Management Assistant Program. Meredith holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University with a concentration in Local Government Management, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration with a minor in Organizational Communication from California State University, Chico.
Term ends: June 30, 2026
Toney Thompson Jr.
Toney Thompson Jr. is an accomplished local government professional known for fostering a culture of innovation and leading high-priority strategic projects for organizations. As an Innovation Strategist for Wake County, NC, Toney manages several high-priority projects for County leadership, develops prototypes to test innovative improvements to government services, and provides multi-disciplinary consultation services to internal stakeholders and project teams. Toney's educational background includes a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from Duke University, and an International Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification.
Term ends: June 30, 2026
Jackie Wehmeyer, Secretary
Jackie Wehmeyer has been a proud public servant to municipalities for 29 years, with most of her experience in Human Resources. Turning her focus from nurturing internal relationships to enriching external relationships, she is currently the Senior Director of Strategy and Intergovernmental Affairs for the City of Parkland, Florida. She is responsible for the City’s strategic plan, is the Library Director and Code Compliance Liaison, is a key link between the City and its essential business partners, and assists with special projects. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communications from the University of South Florida and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Florida Atlantic University. Jackie loves traveling with her family, cooking new and exciting dinners, and floating in the pool with or without an exotic cocktail.
Term ends: June 30, 2027
Board Members Emeritus
Below are the ELGL Board Members Emeritus. These individuals completed their terms on the Board and are active representatives of ELGL.
