Hailing from the storybook Chicago suburb of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, Mayor Mike Wilcox's path has been shaped by his father's influence and a pivotal realization about living life without delay.
Kirkwood City Lifestyle: What brought you to Glendale?
Mayor Mike Wilcox: Growing up in Glen Ellyn, Illinois—a charming suburb west of Chicago— was strikingly similar to Kirkwood and Webster Groves with a quaint downtown, many parks, and older homes. Our town provided a feeling of safety and security. Yet, a quick train or car ride would land you in the heart of Chicago, where you would find world-class shopping and dining, many sports teams, incredible museums, and a beautiful lakefront. I didn't realize how special it was until I left. I decided to attend Mizzou for college, even though I'd never set foot in St. Louis or Kansas City. I met my wife, Libby, during my sophomore year. She's from Webster Groves. After college, we moved around a bit, living in Kansas City and Nashville, but in 1996, Libby suggested we move to St. Louis to raise our family in the kind of community we'd both grown up in. We've lived in Glendale for the last 20 years. It's been a wonderful place to raise our family.
KCL: Do you have a favorite childhood memory?
Mayor Wilcox: My friends and I were living every kid's dream. Summers were for riding bikes, playing pickup sports, and hanging out at the public pool. But the real thrill was when my friends and I would hop on trains to explore Chicago. No cell phones. No GPS. It seems crazy today, but we were 16 or 17 years old, and our parents had no idea where we were. We'd explore Oak Street Beach, check out the museums, watch shows at the theater, and hit up baseball games at Wrigley Field. We'd always ensure someone kept track so we didn't miss the last train home. During Summer, we were in the city almost every day.
KCL: Who inspired you growing up?
Mayor Wilcox: My father, without a doubt, inspired me. He was the vice president of international sales for Amoco Oil, working in the iconic Standard Oil Building in downtown Chicago. He spoke five languages and traveled to more than 100 countries, so he was gone a lot. He'd always talk about retirement as the "beginning" of his life. He dreamed of moving to Florida, playing golf, and buying a boat. Sadly, that dream was never realized. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor and passed away before he could retire. Watching that happen reshaped my life's philosophy. I've learned you can't wait for "someday" to chase your dreams. I realized that life is short and that you should do what you want to do, follow your heart, and do what you love as soon as possible.
KCL: Tell us about your family life.
Mayor Wilcox: Libby and I have been together for 35 years and married for 30. Our path to parenthood wasn't easy. After struggling with infertility and multiple rounds of IVF, we were blessed with our son, Justin, who is 24 and living with his fiancée in Ballwin. But we still had the dream of a bigger family. That's when we decided to adopt.
Because my mother is from Lima, Peru, I've always felt connected to Hispanic culture. We decided to adopt from Guatemala. We were able to meet our daughter, Maya, when she was just three months old, and leaving her with her foster mom was heartbreaking. But as soon as the paperwork cleared, we flew back to Guatemala, and 24 hours later, she was home. We were thrilled to finally bring our daughter home to complete our family. She's now 18 and a senior at Kirkwood High School. Our parenting journey has had its highs and lows, but we're grateful every day for our family of four.
KCL: Describe a typical day.
Mayor Wilcox: I own St. Louis Caster & Equipment, a material handling distributor that serves other businesses. I'm also an adjunct professor at Webster University's MBA program. I've also taught entrepreneurship, but these days, I'm focused on the marketing side.
On a personal level, I'm a book collector. My wife would say I'm more of a 'book buyer' than a 'book reader' because I'd buy business books and leave them on the shelf. However, I've recently committed to reading for 30 minutes every morning, and it's been incredibly rewarding.
KCL: What's something you're genuinely passionate about?
Mayor Wilcox: The idea of finding and pursuing what you love aligns with people's search for their life's purpose. I've explored my own passions to figure out my life's purpose. One thing that's become clear is my passion for helping people wanting to transition from employee to business ownership. When I was a brand manager at Purina, I knew I wanted to leave, but there was no playbook for how to do it. I eventually figured it out, started my own business, and sold it. Since then, I have purchased two other businesses. I'm committed to sharing that knowledge with others. Through LinkedIn, I've connected with people who feel stuck in their jobs. Helping them has become my passion project — it's a way to give back while fulfilling my love of teaching. I love helping people figure out how to do what they love, do something they are good at, and do something that is needed.
KCL: Fun question — what's your go-to music?
Mayor Wilcox: No question about it - 80's alternative. My Sirius XM channel is First Wave or 80's on 8. Glendale is known for its Jazz Festival in the Fall, which is great. But this year, I'm combining my love for 80's music with a new community event. I'm leading the effort for an adults-only street party on 6/13/25 called the Glendale Summer Bash. We have a great 80s cover band booked - The John Hughes Experience. It will be an unforgettable night of music and something new for Glendale.
If you would like to connect with Mike, please do so on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/mikewilcox1/.