New O’Fallon Alderman Fohne ready to ‘roll up sleeves and get to work for Ward 3’
With a family legacy of community service, fourth generation O’Fallonite Andrea Fohne was encouraged to get involved in her hometown at an early age.
Now, she is eager to serve Ward 3 as an alderman on the O’Fallon City Council. She fills the vacancy created by the death of Alderman Kevin Hagarty on March 30. Hagarty was re-elected in April 2019 for his third term, which expires in 2023.
“The loss of Mr. Hagarty was so sudden and tragic. He did so much for O’Fallon, so I feel beyond honored to fill his seat for the remainder of the term. I sincerely look forward to serving the residents of Ward 3 and working with the rest of the council. O’Fallon is such a special community and I’m so glad I get to call it home,” Fohne said.
After interviewing five candidates, Mayor Herb Roach recommended Fohne for the seat. Her appointment received unanimous approval Monday, May 16. She currently is the youngest person on the council, at age 36.
“I believe she will serve both Ward 3 and O’Fallon very well. She has a solid track record of being involved in the city and taking on leadership roles,” Roach said.
“She expresses her thoughts and vision very well. She showed her eye for the future of the city by being involved in the city’s 2040 Master Plan,” he said.
Roach appointed her to the council’s public works and the finance and administration committees.
Alderman Jessica Lotz said she was impressed with Fohne during interactions at various civic meetings.
“She is very engaged and intellectually curious, and she is willing to do whatever needs to be done,” Lotz said. “I think she will make a great city council member.”
Fohne becomes the fourth woman alderman, which Roach thinks is a record.
“I believe this is the first time that the city of O’Fallon has had four women serving on the council at the same time,” he said.
Gwen Randolph has served Ward 5 since she was appointed in August 2018, replacing Courtney Marsh who moved, and then elected in 2019. Jessica Lotz was elected to represent Ward 2 in 2019 and Stephanie Smallheer was elected in 2021 to serve Ward 4.
“I think we’ll make a great team,” Fohne said.
Roots ‘Go Deep’ in Ward 3
Fohne recalled Hagarty was one of the first aldermen she knew to hold ward meetings.
“I thought it was so special that he took the extra time to do that, that he really cared to hear from people, and talk to them about what’s going on. I hope to continue those interactions with Ward 3,” she said.
Alderman Roy Carney also represents the ward, and he was elected in April 2021. Ward 3 was created by going east on West Madison Street, north on North Cherry Street, east on West Monroe Street, north on North Lincoln Avenue, and east on East Wesley Drive. To the south is U.S. Highway 50 and to the west is Interstate 64.
“I am so proud of my ward. I love the neighborhoods and the downtown district. Downtown is vibrant again, and I have such good memories of growing up here. I am so lucky to live in Ward 3,” she said.
The Fohne file
Fohne is currently rehabbing her grandparents’ old home. She is not married and does not have children, but she has two rescue dogs — Scout and Minnie Pearl — that she dotes on, Fohne said.
She has one sister, Megan Hunter, who lives in Shiloh and has a 1-1/2-year-old daughter.
Born and raised in Ward 3, Fohne said her roots go deep. Her mother’s family has been in O’Fallon for four generations and her father’s family is from the Lebanon-Troy area.
Her great-grandfather, Lawrence Trame, was elected as an alderman in 1955.
“When I found that out, I thought ‘I can do that too,’” she said.
She considers her great-grandmother, Irma, a strong role model because she had to step up to raise her family, take care of a home and livestock, and work on the farm — do whatever was needed.
“She rolled up her sleeves and got to work, and that’s what I want to do — roll up my sleeves and get to work for the people of Ward 3. I’m very excited,” she said.
Following in family’s footsteps
Her grandparents, George and Pat Taylor, and Vince and Arlene Fohne, taught her about hard work, she said.
“It was well ingrained in me,” Fohne said.
Her father, Gary Fohne, taught her about serving the public as he has worked for the O’Fallon Township Road District for 46 years.
He was selfless in giving up being with family on holidays to go plow the roads, she said.
Fohne said her dad and her mom, Debbie Fohne, set an example to be civic-minded.
“They were always in something, doing something,” Andrea Fohne said. “I always loved history. So, I got involved in the O’Fallon Historical Society (current vice president), and then the O’Fallon Historic Preservation Committee (current chair).”
More about Fohne
Recently, she helped organize the Founders’ Day event downtown. She also serves as a director of the Friends of the Library and has been involved with the O’Fallon Township Youth Committee and volunteers with the O’Fallon Sportsmen Club.
“You can’t look ahead to where you are going if you don’t remember where you have been. I want to help move the city forward,” she said.
A 2008 graduate of McKendree University, Fohne earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology with an emphasis on criminal justice and a minor in psychology. For the past four-and-a-half years, she has worked as a paralegal at SWMW Law in St. Louis.
Prior to that, she worked for the O’Fallon and Shiloh police departments, first starting as a part-time summer job in 2005-08, then as a part-time dispatcher with O’Fallon from 2008-2012 and records clerk in Shiloh from 2008-2016.
Mayor pleased with entire process
Roach said she received commendations for her work in law enforcement and has demonstrated she works well with others.
He also noted that he was pleased residents wanted to get involved.
“When many positions go without candidates, we were very fortunate to have five good candidates apply for the position. Each of them brought different pluses to be considered,” he said. “I thank all of those that showed interest in serving the city and hope that they will continue to do so.”