Oak Park, Illinois –

On March 17, Oak Park Township Assessor Ali ElSaffar received the 2025 Marshall Theroux Memorial Award for being “a member of the Illinois assessment community who demonstrates high ethical standards, professional achievement, and dedication to the service of others.”   

The Theroux award, the highest honor bestowed by the Illinois Property Assessment Institute, was given at the institute’s state conference in Bloomington-Normal.  “I expected that other Township Assessors from Cook County would be honored at the awards banquet,” ElSaffar said.  “But I had no idea that anyone had nominated me.”  

In fact, two of ElSaffar’s Cook County colleagues had secretly nominated him for the award.    “The first inkling that I might be getting an award came when the presenter said the winner frequently writes tax articles for the local newspaper.  I thought, ‘Hey, that sounds like me…’” 

After the presenter noted the winner’s work on property tax legislation and his seventeen years as president of the county’s Township Assessor Association, ElSaffar was pretty sure the award was going to him.  “But all doubts vanished when they put up a picture of my cute little dog!”    

ElSaffar has served as Oak Park Township Assessor since 2001.  “After all this time, I still like helping local residents with tax problems and also enjoy educating taxpayers and other assessors about the property tax system.  To win an award for doing the work I love is pretty special.” 

Date:  March 22, 2025