Meet the Rockton Township Candidates
Six candidates are running for four Trustee seats in Rockton Township.
Michael McGinnis
Check out all our candidate profiles in our expanded 2025 Election Guide for Roscoe, Rockton, and South Beloit for April 1, 2025.
Rockton Township candidates who are running unopposed are long time trustee Randy Johnson, who is running for Supervisor. Running for reelection are Judith Gurney for Clerk, Trent Keyhoe for Road Commissioner, and Dana Adams for Township Assessor.
Six candidates are running for four trustee seats in Rockton Township. The Republican caucus is Clifford Jensen, Connie Gleasman, Gene Hermann and Michael Lindt. Vicky Ivy and Ricarda Gomes are running as Independents. Incumbents are Connie Gleasman, Gene Hermann, and Vicky Ivy.
Constance Gleasman
Constance Gleasman (Connie) is running for another four year term. Gleasman is a lifelong rural Rockton Township resident. She is a 40 year business owner, a painting contractor. Constance Gleasman is running for another term because she feels there is still more that she can offer to the Township, in the way of utilizing best practices and all of the decision making processes.
"I would like to see a great understanding of what Township governance is by the residents. I would like to find a way to get more people attending the board meeting to see how things are done," Gleasman said. "We have an electronic sign on the Township property, we should make sure it states the dates and times of each meeting, and is used for notification of special meetings.”
"Information that is found in a publications requires looking it up, or you would need a copy of it," Gleasman said. "Many don't know when the meetings are and we need to have information available in as many places as possible. We could also use a sign board. We need to make sure we are there for the people in the Township," adding, "I feel the skills I have acquired running my business will be of benefit in my service as a trustee."
Gleasman is a strong community volunteer. As a youth she was a member of the Owen Blue Bonnets 4-H Club for 34 years. She is currently a board member of the Winnebago County 4-H, and the Extension Foundation. She has also been involved in different charities.
Gleasman has been an active member of the Old Stone Church where she served as the church moderator, and was a member of the building and grounds committee and was a choir member since the age of 14 at First Baptist Church where she also sings in the choir, and plays handbells.
Gleasman is a member of the Rockton Township Historical Society and has been a long time volunteer at Macktown Living History, helping anywhere she was asked to. “Anywhere I see a need to help I step in to fill the need, “Gleasman said.
Ricarda Gomes
Ricarda Gomes decided to run for a seat as a trustee on the Rockton Township Board because she is committed to serving her community directly. “I believe this role provides an opportunity to contribute to ensuring our community receives the highest standard of care and that information is readily accessible to all residents. I am eager to dedicate my efforts to upholding these important community values,” Gomes said.
Gomes' vision for Rockton Township is one where residents experience the highest standard of care, where information is readily accessible and transparently communicated, and where fairness and equitable representation are cornerstones of our governance.
“I envision a community that actively cultivates and values diverse perspectives, fostering an environment where we can move beyond political polarization and find common ground for the betterment of all.”
“As a special education teacher at the Dolan Education Center in Durand, Illinois, I am deeply committed to the center's mission of fostering a supportive and inclusive learning environment for students of all abilities.
“We strive to empower each student to develop a positive self-image, cultivate a love of learning, and achieve academic and behavioral success at their own pace. Our proactive approach to addressing individual needs ensures that every student has a reasonable opportunity to thrive and become a confident, contributing member of our community. We firmly believe in the potential of every student to learn and succeed, and we are dedicated to providing the personalized support necessary to make that a reality.
“Most people know me as Rickie, and Rockton Township has been my lifelong home. As a third-generation graduate of Hononegah High School, I've deep roots in this community. For seven years, I served Hononegah's special education students, and I currently continue this passion as a special education teacher at the Dolan Education Center in Durand, Illinois, where each day presents unique challenges and immense rewards.
“My commitment to service extends beyond the classroom. I previously served as a board member for Pink Heals Winnebago County, where I had the privilege of supporting local individuals and families battling cancer. That experience taught me invaluable lessons about compassion and the power of community.
Beyond her professional and volunteer work, Gomes is passionate about kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, and mixed martial arts. “After a decade of competition, including regional, national, and world titles, I now share my knowledge and skills by teaching kickboxing, discipline, and self-defense. I’m currently a member of Pride Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Roscoe.”
Gomes is a highly goal-driven individual and a natural problem solver. “I'm eager to leverage these skills to positively impact our community and inspire the next generation. As a parent of a daughter who attends South Beloit Elementary, I'm deeply invested in the future of our area. I believe in the power of local involvement and hope to see more young people engaged in shaping our community's future.”
Gomes adds, “It's important to remember that local involvement is crucial for building strong communities. Every contribution, no matter how small, can make a significant difference. I encourage everyone to find ways to get involved and make their voices heard.”
This is Gomes second run and if elected would be her first term.
Gene Hermann
Gene Herman is running for his third term as a Rockton Township Trustee. Hermann has been a Rockton Township resident for more than 50 years, He is a graduate of Hononegah Community High School. Beyond HCHS Hermann completed a series of continuing education and supervisory classes at local community colleges.
Herman’s vision is to see team work, transparency and checks and balances in the Township. Hermann is also serving a six year term on another community board. Hermann has been married to his wife Ronda for 36 years. They have one adult son.
Vicky Ivy
Vicky Ivy is running for reelection because she loves working with the people and wants to make a change and a difference in her community.“I also want to give back. It is an honor to know that your community takes an interest in you and believes in you, Ivy said.
Ivy has been a Rockton Township Trustee for six years, she was appointed to serve two years, then was sworn in for a four year term.
Ivy has volunteered at her church, with Northern Illinois to help Keep America Beautiful, and has helped the homeless and volunteered to send products to needy people in disaster areas.
Ivy spends part of her time working as a cosmetologist. She owns a salon in South Beloit Illinois, Miss Vicky's Famous Hair and is the former owner of Miss Vicki's Ribs. She is hoping to make a return to that business. "I am active in my community and I'm a member of Greater New Hope Baptist Church," Ivy said.
One of the committees that Ivy oversaw on the board focused on helping to clean up the township, trying to get abandoned cars removed and checking on homes set to be torn down. “I made sure that Winnebago County is getting some of that stuff done by working with them," Ivy said.
"Things I stand for include job and economic growth for our community, women's rights, funding and education for all children, workers rights and collective bargaining, and a fair tax structure for all the people in Winnebago county," Ivy said.
The Township by law has three basic functions, general assistance, the assessment of real estate property and for the basic local taxation and maintenance of all roads and bridges outside federal state and other jurisdictions.
"These are the things that we are in control of, making sure that no one is spending the taxpayers money unwisely," Ivy said.
Ivy has tried to go every year to Springfield to take up advanced education in order to better herself so she can learn to serve the people of the township better.
"The township is the closest part of the government to the people. We're for the people and we should be there for their needs and be able to help them where we can. If we can't help them we should be able to find organizations that can help them."
Clifford Jensen
Clifford Jensen is running to be a voice for the people in the Township. “I hope to positively affect our community now and for the future,” Jensen said.
“I plan to steer the board toward transparent fiscal accountability. For example, the board should be allowed more time to review the invoices the Trustees are legally bound to examine before payment.”
“We should be making decisions using God-given common sense. We need to use thoughtfulness and planning every year when submitting the levy to the county instead of asking for the maximum levy every year.”
Jensen said, “I will serve my fellow board members and each of our Township constituents with respect. We should intentionally use Robert's Rules to guide the structure of our meetings. This will improve professionalism, remove personal attacks and prevent deviations from the meeting agendas.”“
“I am not an incumbent for this race. This gives me an advantage. I'm willing to work with each of the Trustees who are elected by the voters to improve our Township's accountability and transparency.”
Jensen works for a privately-owned manufacturing company in Rockford as service manager. “Before moving into this position, I worked as a service engineer, traveling 40+ weeks each year to remote locations in order to repair and install machinery as well as offer personnel training,” Jensen said.
Jensen is a husband to the mother of three young adults. "I love being a dad. I enjoy spending time outdoors with our kids," he said. “Our family is active at our church and we volunteer within the homeschool community. I have coordinated many Dave Ramsey Financial Peace classes in our community and in private homes. I've worked as a poll watcher in the last several elections and I also volunteer with the Winnebago GOP, where I serve as an area captain. ““With God's grace, I will protect the rights that he has given us as well as defend the freedoms that we are given in our Constitution.”
Michael Lindt
Michael Lindt is running in hopes of winning a seat in his first term. Lindt decided to run for Township Trustee because he feels a strong obligation to invest his time and effort into making the community a better place to live, "especially for my family. I've become very fond of Rockton, and I want to contribute to making it a place that people can be proud of," Lindt said.
Lindt's vision is to make Rockton Township a "best-in-class" township. “I’m focused on financial responsibility, community outreach, professionalism, and community stewardship. I plan to ensure the township operates efficiently, interacts with residents to address their concerns, and takes care of its resources to serve the community effectively,” Lindt said.
Lindt works as a Division Manager at a Rockford low voltage electrical contractor. Prior to this, he worked as a consultant for a major connectivity company for seven years.
Lindt was born and raised in Hutchinson, Kansas, and graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame. He moved to Rockton four years ago after meeting his wife. They have three children.
“I am committed to making Rockton Township a community residents can be proud of,” Lindt said. “I hope to bring my career experiences in project management, leadership, and financial responsibility to my role as a trustee. I encourage people to vote for me and my running mates in the upcoming election on April 1st, 2025.”
