NWMC Press Release - Eric Smith Inaugurated as NWMC President
BUFFALO GROVE PRESIDENT ERIC SMITH
INAUGURATED AS THE 68TH PRESIDENT OF THE
NORTHWEST MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE
Buffalo Grove Village President Eric Smith was inaugurated as the 2026-2027 Northwest Municipal Conference (NWMC) President on Wednesday, June 10.
Smith is the organization’s 68th President and sixth from the Village of Buffalo Grove. Mount Prospect Mayor Paul Hoefert was installed as Vice-President, with Wilmette Village President Senta Plunkett and Barrington Village Manager Scott Anderson installed as Secretary and Treasurer, respectively. Their terms run through June, 2027.
The inauguration took place at the NWMC’s Annual Gala at Independence Grove in Libertyville. One hundred and seventy-eight members and guests celebrated the accomplishments of outgoing NWMC President and Libertyville Mayor Donna Johnson as well as the inauguration of President Smith.
Mayor Johnson thanked the Conference leadership team, membership and staff for their collective achievements over the past year, specifically noting creation of working groups to address the explosion in popularity of e-mobility devices and issues regarding housing supply. She also thanked members for coming together to create a dynamic new strategic plan that will guide the Conference for the next four years.
In his first remarks as NWMC President, President Smith thanked Mayor Johnson for her leadership over the past year and congratulated the new leadership team. He stated that “the Northwest Municipal Conference is an organization I’m proud to be part of. At its core, it represents something essential; the balance between collaboration and local control. This Conference connects us – so that when one of us faces a challenge, all of us benefit from shared experience, insight, and support. It’s government at its best: nonpartisan, practical and focused on the people we serve.”
The Northwest Municipal Conference is a membership-supported association of 43 municipalities and 1 township representing a population of over 1.2 million Illinois residents. Established in 1958, the Conference serves to strengthen local government and enhance intergovernmental cooperation in the north and northwest suburbs of Chicago.
Left to right:
NWMC Vice President and Mount Prospect Mayor Paul Hoefert
NWMC President and Buffalo Grove Village President Eric Smith
NWMC Past President and Libertyville Mayor Donna Johnson
NWMC Secretary and Wilmette Village President Senta Plunkett
NWMC Treasurer and Barrington Village Manager Scott Anderson
Photo courtesy of NWMC staff
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