Mary Alexander-Basta serves as Mayor of the Village of Bolingbrook, Illinois. First appointed in July 2020 to complete the term of retiring Mayor Roger Claar, she has since been elected twice by Bolingbrook voters and is currently serving her second full term. She is the first Egyptian-born woman to serve as a mayor in the United States.

 

Born in Cairo, Egypt, Mayor Alexander-Basta immigrated to the U.S. as a child and holds a degree in Mass Communications from the American University in Cairo. Before entering public service, she built a two-decade career in hospitality and event management with the Palmer House Hilton, Four Seasons, and Sheraton, and became the first female General Manager in the Chicago Yacht Club's 125-year history.

 

She and her husband moved to Bolingbrook in 2003, drawn by the community's diversity. Her public service began at the grassroots level — as JFK PTA President, executive board member of the Bolingbrook Soccer League, and founding Vice President of the Bolingbrook STEM Association — before her election as Village Trustee in 2019, where she chaired the Plan Commission. She was named Bolingbrook Female Citizen of the Year in 2018.