In a move rare for a freshman member of the Cook County Board, newly elected Commissioner Larry Suffredin of Evanston has been named chairman of the board’s Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee. 
Leadership of the influential committee - charged with recommending county positions on state and federal legislation, tracking state and federal funds earmarked for the county, and reviewing appointments to county boards and commissions - is a boon for the 13th District, Suffredin said in a prepared statement. 
“I will have an exceptional opportunity to ensure that the County Board is responsive to the unique concerns of northern Cook County,” he said. “I will be well-positioned to ensure that our priorities are reflected in the legislation the county supports, that our local officials are consulted when funding is sought and that appointees understand what is important to us.” 
Suffredin was sworn in Dec. 2 by Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas R. Fitzgerald. 
Those attending the Skokie inaugural included U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-9th, who headed up Suffredin’s campaign; Glencoe Village President Anthony Ruzicka Jr.; and Cook County State’s Attorney Dick Devine. 
The 13th District of Cook County encompasses much of Evanston, New Trier and Niles townships, as well as Chicago’s 49th and 50th wards.