MEET PAULA
New Leadership Delivering Results for Our Community
Paula Deacon Garcia has lived in Lisle for the majority of her life and now even resides 4 houses away from her childhood home.
Paula attended Lisle schools and after graduating from Lisle Senior High School, she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Communication/Public Relations from Illinois State University.
Paula worked for the Village of Lisle for 21 years, the majority of which she spent in the Development Services Department (Building Department), now reorganized as the Customer Service Department. Paula served as a liaison between the village and residents and businesses, assisting with building permits, codes, and other municipal issues. Helping residents navigate their local government gave Paula a deep appreciation for public services, helping others, and the importance of a government that is accessible and responsible to the needs of its residents. Paula is a Certified Floodplain Manager and used her knowledge and skills to assist residents affected by the floods that have occurred over the past decade.
Paula continued her career of public service on the DuPage County Board, where she has served the residents of District 2 since 2020. As the Board’s Finance Chair, Paula has fought for balanced budgets, transparent budgeting practices, and accounting practices that holds the county accountable for its spending.
Paula has been happily married to her husband, Larry, for 42 years after meeting in college. Together, they have proudly raised two children, Chris and Amanda, who are both grown and living full lives themselves. Her daughter Amanda has also started her own family with her husband Brandon, and has added 2 spectacular grandchildren to Paula’s life. When not volunteering or working, Paula is an avid gardener and lover of all animals.
Paula loves living in a neighborhood where people care about each other and do not hesitate to drop everything and help someone in need. She truly desires to continue to help people and to bring that level of caring to the county level.




Community Involvement

Since 2017, Paula has been the Chair of the Lisle Township Food Pantry Vegetable Garden. At the time the garden was in need of some additional TLC and thanks to the volunteers who gave their time, the garden was producing in no time.
All harvested vegetables are donated to the Food Pantry that helps families in need and makes sure they are able to eat fresh vegetables. Year after year Paula has been so proud of the hard work put into the garden and how much it produces for people in need.
In 2024 alone, the garden produced over 1,600 pounds of fresh vegetables. Due to the success of the garden, as a representative of all of the volunteers, Paula received multiple awards. In 2019, the Village of Lisle awarded the Community Recognition Award and Lisle Township was awarded the Township Recognition Award.
As a County Board member, Paula is proud to partner with DuPage Foundation to champion a collaborative, community-wide approach that delivers measurable, lasting impact for DuPage residents. The DuPage County Board and DuPage Foundation formed a $10 million grant initiative launched in 2022, with federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, to support 15 nonprofit organizations addressing food insecurity, housing instability, mental health, and substance use disorders across the county.
Other Community Involvement
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Past President, Democratic Women of DuPage County
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Board Member, DuPage County Board of Health
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Board Member, DuPage Council on Strengthening the System on Mental Health and Substance Abuse
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Executive Board Member, Behavioral Health Collaborative
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Member, Lisle-Woodridge League of Women Voters
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Member, DuPage County Branch NAACP


County Board Committees
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Animal Services Committee
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Finance Committee, Chair
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Human Services Committee, Vice Chair
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Legislative Committee
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Public Works Committee
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Transportation Committee
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Ad-Hoc Housing Solutions Committee
