Meet Randy
I'm a husband, father, educator, producer, musician, volunteer, and neighbor who has been fortunate to spend a lifetime working with creative people.
The common thread through every chapter has been bringing people together, helping them recognize what they can contribute, and building something none of us could have created alone.
Wheaton Became Home
Nearly 29 years ago, two weeks after the birth of our second child, my wife and I flew to Chicago from Culver City, California, with our two young children to find a place to live.
I had accepted a position with Fox in Chicago and was transferring from television operations in Los Angeles. We wanted space, mature trees, excellent schools, a walkable neighborhood, and access to the Metra line.
We stayed with my wife's cousin in St. Charles and worked our way east along the railroad. We looked in Naperville, but after living in Los Angeles, we were searching for something with more of a small-town feeling.
Then we came to Wheaton.
It felt like home.
We rented a house for a year and bought a home one block away the day it came on the market. I could walk to the train. Our children could walk to Whittier Elementary and Edison Middle School. Kelly Park was across the street, and we found an extraordinary group of neighbors.
Nearly three decades later, we still love it here.
Bringing People Together to Create Things That Matter
My professional life has taken me from local television to national public broadcasting, children's media, live performance, station operations, and education.
Television taught me that no meaningful production is created by one person. Writers, directors, producers, engineers, artists, performers, craftspeople, and technicians each see something different. The work becomes stronger when those perspectives are respected and brought together.
I have carried that lesson into every part of my life: listen carefully, recognize what each person brings, establish a shared purpose, and give people room to do their best work.
Why I Teach
My love of teaching began when I was thirteen years old and visited a live production at a television station near my home. Someone took the time to open a door and show me a world I had never imagined for myself.
That experience lit a spark.
Throughout my career, I loved speaking with tour groups visiting the studios and production facilities where I worked. I always hoped someone in the group might feel that same spark.
Today, at the College of DuPage, I watch incoming students enter an Introduction to Motion Picture and Television class as individuals and gradually become a creative collaborative.
They discover that each of them brings a unique perspective, background, and skill set. They begin to understand that their contribution can make every project stronger.
Watching their confidence grow during those first sixteen weeks is magic. It gives me purpose and energy.
What Lasts
This spring, I took a group of students to NBC.
I was excited to walk through a new production space I had helped plan years earlier and to see it finally built. That was satisfying, but it was not what stayed with me.
As we walked through the building, former colleagues came over with hugs. They told me they were glad to see me. Some said they missed me. Others immediately offered to speak with my students and share what they had learned working in television.
On the way home, I realized that the most meaningful part of returning was not seeing the facility.
It was seeing the relationships.
Buildings change. Technology changes. Titles come and go. The way we treat people lasts much longer.
That is the kind of leader I have always tried to be.
Using My Experience to Give Back
After retiring from corporate television, I was walking Marshall when a neighbor asked, "What's next?"
I thought for a moment and said, "Now I want to find a way to use my powers for good and give back."
She served on the Wheaton Fine & Cultural Arts Commission and encouraged me to apply. That invitation became my first direct experience with local government.
I loved working with artists, residents, City staff, and elected leaders to create public projects that might make someone smile, brighten a neighborhood, or help people feel more connected to Wheaton.
We began with painted fire hydrants, moved into murals and larger public-art projects, and are now exploring new ways to use public space and projection technology to create shared experiences.
The work showed me what is possible when local government listens to creative ideas and helps residents turn those ideas into something the entire community can enjoy.
A Good Life Is Something We Pass Along
I have lived a good life because I have learned from remarkable people along the way.
Teachers, mentors, colleagues, friends, family members, and neighbors have opened doors for me, challenged me, encouraged me, and helped me see possibilities I might otherwise have missed.
I have tried to carry those lessons forward.
Sometimes it lands. Sometimes it misses. But I keep asking:
How can I help?
How can I solve a problem?
How can I remove barriers so others can thrive?
That is what gives me purpose. It is also the spirit I hope to bring to the Wheaton City Council.
Address
109 Fairway Lane
Wheaton, IL 60189
Contact
224.423.0933
randy@randykingwheaton.com
Connect