Hazel Crest Village President Vernard Alsberry has dedicated himself to serving others, something that came naturally.

“I wanted to serve the community. I did a lot of service work when I was in the military as a kid. I did a lot of community work out in Algedt,” Alsberry told Southland Marquee. “It was just a passion I’ve always had. I grew up in a family of six brothers and no sisters, and our family was very involved in just being involved in the community. And so it's something I've done all my life.”

He is in his third four-year term as village president, following two terms as a village trustee. A native of Altgeld Gardens on the South Side of Chicago, he graduated from George Washington Carver High School.

Alsberry came to Hazel Crest, with a population around 14,100, almost a quarter-century ago after 9 1/2 years in the Air Force. He worked as a physical therapist assistant and become involved in community activities in the bedroom community 22 miles south of the Loop.

Hazel Crest has a predominantly Black population and serves as a bedroom community, with most residents going to other towns or Chicago to work. Advocate South Suburban Hospital is a major employer and a hub of activity in the village.

Alsberry said he has promoted growth during his decade as village president. The community was stalled when he took office, he said, but that has been turned around, highlighted by a $90 million surgical center expansion that was completed in 2020.

Roads have been improved and residents have access to an arboretum, Hazel Crest Openlands, and parks. Alsberry is especially proud of his efforts to keep young people active.

“I have a passion for the youth,” he said.

A summer program provides exercise and activity. A six-week immersion program offers educational opportunities, and young people get a $50 stipend every two weeks for taking part.

The Covid-19 pandemic took a toll, Alsberry admits.

“Well, we lost about 127 residents due to the pandemic,” he said.

Having a hospital within the community was a major factor in reducing the number of deaths, Alsberry said. Thousands of vaccines were made available through the joint efforts of the Southland Regional Mayoral Black Caucus, area schools and companies such as Walgreens. Efforts were made to inform people on where the shots could be taken.

But residents were determined to remain active, and he said that was a positive factor as well.

“We were able to keep moving. I mean, we did a lot of events,” Alsberry said. “We did a memorial for those who have passed away right at the second year of the pandemic, supported by the Full Gospel Christian Assemblies International.”

Assistance was offered for families unable to visit loved ones, making videos at a studio owned by the village that could create a sense of connection.

“So I always say we stayed active,” Alsberry said. “We did things the old-school way. We had a radio station do an early morning radio show Saturday morning like you used to do, and people were able to call in their favorite music. We had a walkathon where people were wearing masks. So we tried to stay engaged and keep our citizens engaged.”

Things are looking up, he said.

“People are doing better,” Alsberry said. “You know, there are some people who ended up with long Covid, but we haven’t had any more deaths from Covid since 2020; maybe ‘21 was our last death.”

Informational efforts continue to encourage people to stay safe and get vaccinated and boosted, he said.

Alsberry remains very active and is a regular presence at village offices. It’s a part-time position that pays around $30,000 annually, but he treats it like a full-time job, he said.

“I retired and my wife passed back in 2019, I'm almost there all the time,” Alsberry said. “But even previously, I was there almost all the time. I don’t know how to count the hours. You’re there when they need me and even when they don’t.”

He has held workshops across the Southland, including the “Peace with a Purpose” workshop, which brought local, county, state and federal elected officials together with citizens, educators, first-responders and faith-based organizations to discuss education, safety and business developments.

Politics remain a passion, he admits.

Alsberry ran for the Cook County Board of Commissioners District 5 seat in 2022, losing in the Democratic primary. He is term-limited from seeking a fourth term as mayor, although some supporters have talked about changing that through a ballot measure.

“I’m still thinking about all that,” Alsberry said.

There are a lot of people he has worked with in the last two decades who might be ready to step up and take leadership roles, he said. They are “prepared to provide good government,” Alsberry said.

“So I’m excited about their transition to become mayors or state reps or what have you,” he said. “So right now, no decision made. But I would like to see more new people come on the horizon and just support that effort.”

Alsberry has been extremely active in regional organizations.

He is the second vice president of the Illinois Municipal League; past president (2016-18) and an executive board member of the South Suburban Mayors and Managers; co-chair of Advocate South Suburban Hospital Governing Council, an executive board member of South Suburban United Way; founder of the Southland Partnership; a board member of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus; the past president and an executive board member of the Southland Regional Mayoral Black Caucus; an executive board member of the Southland Development Authority; vice president of the South Suburban Land Band and Development Authority; a board member of the Southland Chamber of Commerce; and a member of the American Legion Post 398 in Hazel Crest.

Alsberry holds a bachelor’s degree in health administration and a master’s in public administration from Governors State University. He also earned associate of science degrees in physical therapy from the University of Mississippi and Community College of the Air Force. 

Alsberry, 67, is a widower. His wife Diana died in 2019; they had been together for three decades and married for 22 years. Together, they raised nine children in a blended family. He has 14 grandchildren and one great-grandson, whom he wants to spend time with now, too.

But the habit of serving others and being involved in his community will be hard to break. Frankly, Alsberry doesn’t plan to make much of an effort to do so.