Meet Ann Tennes

Ann Tennes specializes in strategic local government communications and community engagement, having served as Director of Marketing and Communications for the Village of Skokie, Illinois for nearly 25 years. 

She has worked with elected officials, community groups, appointed boards and commissions, business leaders, fellow governments and peers with a  track record of leadership, innovation and consensus-building. 

Tennes holds certificates in Facilitation Methods and Strategic Planning from the Institute of Cultural Affairs.

She is passionate about the importance of inclusive community engagement and best practices in local government  communications. Well-versed in organizational and board dynamics, Tennes is committed to intergovernmental cooperation and best practices in local government and organizational  administration. 

As the President and founder of Ann Tennes Communications, LLC, she brings extensive experience in project management, broad-based community engagement, creative social  media, crisis and public safety communications, media relations, economic development, targeted outreach to diverse constituencies, land use and more.  

Her leadership involvement includes serving as an elected Trustee on the board of Oakton College, with campuses in Des Plaines and Skokie, Illinois. First elected in 2007 and re-elected in 2013, she served for 12 years, acting as board chair in 2012 and again in 2015. 

Her experience extends to sustainability and environmental initiatives, having been the Assistant Executive Director of the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County prior to her position in Skokie. 

Now a Skokie resident, she previously lived in Park Ridge, Illinois where she served as Zoning Board of Appeals Chairperson  for eight years. 

In 2021, Tennes led a community review of the Skokie Police Department Use of Force Policy that involved education, active listening and consensus building during a nearly year-long series of monthly meetings with representatives of 16 diverse community groups and members of the Skokie Police Department. Tennes worked with a sub-committee to develop comprehensive recommendations on use of force, transparency, training and community engagement that were unanimously approved by Village leaders.

Tennes directed a branding campaign for Skokie that spanned more than a decade and included cooperative marketing with the CTA. 

Her ability to create  comprehensive communications initiatives and forge partnerships to benefit and strengthen  the community were the cornerstones of her work in Skokie.