David Stolman is no stranger to Lake County government, having been a fixture on the county political scene for nearly 20 years now.

But still the ease in which the Republican has stepped into the role of County Board chairman has been impressive. He didn’t even get flustered when he was forced into being coroner for a day when the former coroner was convicted of a felony and had to resign. He took swift but transparent action in getting an ordinance passed and a committee established to choose a new coroner.

He could have acted in typical Illinois politics fashion and worked a back-room deal in filling the position, but wisely opted to keep everything out in the open and above board.

David Stolman has long been a familiar face on the Lake County Board, but in his first six months as board chairman, he’s taken on a much more active role in the day-to-day operations of the county.

Since taking over as chairman last December, Stolman and the board have faced a host of issues and challenges, including redistricting county board districts, finding a replacement for the coroner, considering a controversial plan to privatize Winchester House nursing home, and working to attract new businesses to the county in tough economic times.

“I devote full time and my best effort to the job and I mean that,” said Stolman. “When I invest myself into something, I jump right into it. There’s so much to do. The goal is to make everybody’s life a little better.”

GRAYSLAKE — The green economy may still be just a sprout, but efforts are under way to grow the idea to its full potential.

One such way is the second annual County Green conference held Tueday at the College of Lake County.

“Community colleges have an important role in the green economy,” said Jerry Weber, president of the college, which was named this year’s Green Business by the Lake County Chamber of Commerce. The college was a founding member in 2010 of the Seed Center, a group of community colleges across the nation which put together a directory of green business and information on how to foster green businesses. The college also has a Sustainability Center that has resources for greening homes or businesses.