Bolingbrook Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta, the first Egyptian woman mayor in the U.S., heading to 2nd term
On May 13, Bolingbrook Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta will be sworn in for her second full term in office. She's unlike any other mayor in America, because of where she was born.
The road to Bolingbrook's top office was very long for Alexander-Basta. It started in Egypt.
"I was born in Cairo, Egypt, and I moved to the United States when I was 6 years old," she said.
From then on, she grew up in Nashville, spending summers back in her native country. When it came time for college, she returned to Cairo to study hospitality. That was her first career.
"Working for hotels, private clubs. Worked for an array, starting from Sheraton Music City all the way to Four Seasons here, Palmer House Hilton, and eventually transitioned into the private club world, where I became the first female general manager of the Chicago Yacht Club," she said.
She even opened her own restaurant in Palos Heights, but when it came time to focus on her children, Alexander-Basta got involved with government.
"It is engaging in their schools, in their sporting clubs, joining the sporting clubs, being on the board of the sporting clubs. So that's really how my Bolingbrook story began," she said.
Eventually, it led to her becoming mayor.
She was first sworn in to finish the term of the outgoing mayor in 2020. Since then, she's been re-elected twice.
Alexander-Basta said it's that combination of her immigrant experience and her hospitality background that make her so effective and compassionate.
"We have nationalities and ethnicities from all over the place, and learning those cultures and traditions is very important, and I know that, because I am from one of those different cultures," she said. "The hospitality part of it says you have to be welcoming, communication, and really listen to people."
A new mural at the Bolingbrook Town Center features the word "welcome" in various languages spoken in Bolingbrook.
"All this was done by our residents. They put all the pieces together and worked on it for a long time,"
Alexander-Basta's journey wasn't easy.
"There was actually a time when I was running for trustee that I really felt and was told that I was probably not going to make it across the finish line," she said.
Now that she's mayor, she has a message for everyone.
"You have to just believe in yourself, and believe in your capabilities, and do the best that you can, because that's all you can do," she said.
Alexander-Basta is a member of the Coptic Orthodox Christian faith, so she is preparing to celebrate Easter this Sunday.
