Meet the Commissioners
Mary Jane Mannella
Commission Chairman
Mary Jane Mannella was appointed to the Water Commission by Willow Springs Village President John Carpino in 2017. Mary Jane, a lifetime resident of Willow Springs, has served in local Government since 1997 both as a Village of Willow Springs Trustee for 8 years, as Village Clerk for 4 years, Canal Corridor Association representative for the village, and Rendezvous Committee member. She attended LEADS certification from the Illinois Municipal League/University of Illinois. She also attended the Commissioners Training Institute and has found that to be invaluable to her position as Water Commissioner. She has a bachelor’s degree in computer science. She and her husband have a business, Slip-Proof Safety, that provides home modifications for accessibility. She is Vice-President of the Continuity of Care South Suburban chapter. She has 2 grown daughters and one tiny dog.
George Pastorino
Commissioner Treasurer
George Pastorino was appointed to the Water Commission by Justice Village President Kris Wasowicz in 2019. George, a 20 year resident of Justice has served in local Government since 2008 both as a Village of Justice Trustee and as Chairman of The Justice Police Commission. He is certified by The Commissioners Training Institute. He retired in 2014 after spending 38 years as a Surgical Instrument Repair Specialist and Master Instructor for Prezio Health. George is President of The Elmhurst Bike Club and is a Certified Mountain Bike Skills Instructor as well as a volunteer Bike Medic. He is active in the community and volunteers with Project Mobility to provide specially adapted bicycles to physically challenged children and wounded warriors.
Mike Porfirio
Commission
Mike Porfirio is the Cook County appointee to the Justice-Willow Springs Water Commission. Mike also served as a Trustee for the Township of Lyons and has previously served as the Village of Bridgeview Public Works Director and the part-time Village Administrator in the Village of Summit. Mike is a graduate of the US Naval Academy and holds a Master of Arts in Political Science from Purdue University and an MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is an Afghanistan War Veteran and currently serves as a Commander in the Navy Reserve assigned as the Commanding Officer of Cargo Afloat Rig Team HQ providing reserve support and augmentation to the combat logistics forces of the Military Sealift Command.
Mike is self-employed and married to his wife, Alana. They have one daughter, Gabriella, and two dogs, Razzle and Sona.
About the Water Commission
Our goal is to deliver safe and clean water to families and businesses in the villages of Justice and Willow Springs. In addition, the Water Commission team repairs water main breaks, monitors and ensures the quality of the water, and assists residents and businesses in managing their water consumption.
The Water Commission is governed by three board members, each which serve a term of 6 years.
Our History
The Justice-Willow Springs Water Commission was created by the State of Illinois to obtain and operate a public water system for the villages of Justice and Willow Springs. It was officially incorporated by Cook County in 1964. Since then, we deliver more than 2.5 million gallons of water every day.
Find out more about the people who work behind the scenes to bring you clean and safe water.