Midwest Regional Meeting Elected Official Attendee Biographies
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Midwest Regional Meeting Elected Official Attendee Biographies CHRISTINE RADOGNO Senate Republican Leader, Illinois Representing the 41st Senate District GENERAL ASSEMBLY Christine Radogno is the Senate Republican Leader, and first female Caucus Leader in General Assembly history. She began her third term as Senate Republican Leader in 2013. She has served in the Illinois Senate since 1997, and she currently represents the 41st District in DuPage, Will and Cook Counties. Sen. Radogno is a sitting member on the Senate Executive Committee. LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS Leader Radogno is a leading state budget expert, having served as the budget negotiator for the Senate Republican Caucus. In 2011 she was a key figure in the workers’ compensation negotiations that led to the most significant reforms to the state’s system in decades. She continues to work on workers’ compensation reform, while also tackling the complicated issue of public employee pension reform. Leader Radogno has been a long-time advocate for ethical and fiscal reforms in Illinois state government, actively working to promote debt responsibility, and to restore discipline and accountability to the state’s borrowing and contracting practices. Her human services background has reinforced her dedication to fostering a responsible health care system in Illinois. Radogno has sponsored Medicaid Reform legislation advocating common-sense changes to Illinois’ public health system. BACKGROUND Before running for the Senate, Christine Radogno served as Village of LaGrange trustee (1989-1996). Prior to her experience as a trustee, she worked as a social worker at Mercy Center for Health Care Services. AWARDS Senator Radogno has received numerous awards throughout her legislative career, particularly awards honoring her commitment to health care and human services, economic development and Illinois agriculture. EDUCATION Senator Radogno was educated in the Chicago area. She holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from Loyola University, Chicago, and a Bachelor’s degree from Loyola University. She graduated from Lyons Township High School. PERSONAL Senator Radogno lives in Lemont. She and her husband have three adult children and one grandchild. TOM CROSS Representative, Illinois Representing the 97th House District Executive Committee Member Tom Cross is the Minority Leader in the Illinois House of Representatives and represents the 97th District. Rep. Cross was first elected in 1992. His district includes northern and eastern Oswego Township in Kendall County and portions of Plainfield, Troy and Wheatland Townships in Will County. This legislative session, he is pushing an aggressive legislative agenda to create jobs and protect Illinois families. With the state billions of dollars behind in its bills and in debt, one of Rep. Cross’ highest priorities this legislative session is to improve Illinois’ economy and get people back to work-a stable economy can lead to a more stable government. Rep. Cross is leading the charge to cut wasteful government spending and structurally change the way the state of Illinois does its business. Rep. Cross will continue to be mindful of the needs of the business community by initiating comprehensive jobs packages and tort reforms to help existing employers thrive while attracting new jobs to our communities. He also supported landmark workers’ compensation reforms that will improve benefits for labor while lowering cost for employers. Rep. Cross practices law with Mahoney, Silverman, and Cross in Joliet. Before joining the firm, he practiced private law after serving eight years as a prosecutor in the Kendall County State’s Attorney’s Office. He is a graduate of Yorkville High School and Illinois Wesleyan University. He received his J.D. from Cumberland Law School in Alabama. Rep. Cross also is very involved in the community including serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Illinois Chapter. He and his wife, the former Genie Hovater, live in Oswego with their two children. They belong to the Oswego Church of the Good Shepherd United Methodist. Awards include: YMCA 2012 Legislative Hero, 2011 IL Career and Tech Education Students “For Your Continued Support,” 2010 Outstanding Advocate Award from the Easter Seals, 2009 Highest Voting Record Supporting the Ag Community from Will Co. Farm Bureau, 2007 Outstanding Member of the House from Model IL Government, among others. BRANDT HERSHMAN Senate Majority Floor Leader, Indiana Representing the 7th Senate District Senator Brandt Hershman serves as the Majority Floor Leader and the Chairman of the Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy in the Indiana Senate. He was the youngest member of the Indiana Senate when first elected in 2000, but had already established himself as a conservative political leader prior to his role in the Senate. He grew up on a family farm established by his ancestors more than 150 years ago, learned the value of hard work at a young age. Paying his own way through an undergraduate degree in Political Science at Purdue University, Hershman was selected to serve as a Presidential Writer for President George H.W. Bush. Upon leaving the Bush Administration, Hershman helped manage the successful campaign of a first time Congressional candidate against a Democratic incumbent recognized by Roll Call as the “best politician’ in Congress. Hershman continued his public service, logging 18 years as District Operations Director for a former member of the U.S House of Representatives. In 2000, he ran for an open seat in the Indiana Senate, taking back a seat that had been held by Democrats for 16 years. He has served since that time, earning a 64 percent margin of victory in his last election. His legislative record includes authorship of the historic 2006 Indiana telecommunications reform act, lauded as the best deregulatory bill in the nation. Since that time he has lead the fight in energy, telecommunications and tax issues, including authoring or sponsoring Indiana’s income tax reduction, corporate tax rate reduction, and elimination of the inheritance tax. During Sen. Hershman’s tenure as Tax Chair, Indiana’s business friendliness environment has improved 18 places in the last 3 years, according to the Pollina survey. In other legislative areas, Hershman authored a redesign of Indiana’s 911 dispatch system, and a comprehensive rewrite of Indiana’s unemployment insurance system. In 2012, Hershman was recognized as Legislator of the Year by the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns. He has also received the Guardian of Small Business Award from the National Federal of Independent Business, Aviation Association Legislator of the Year He currently serves as Co-Chairman of the NCSL Labor and Economic Development Committee, as well as being a member of the Purdue University School of Agriculture Dean’s Advisory Council, and the Indiana University School of Medicine, Lafayette Advisory Council. Senator Hershman is a 2013 graduate of the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, and has done executive coursework at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Hershman is married to his wife, Lisa, who is an internationally published business author, as well as the founder and CEO of the DeNovo Group LLC. The Hershmans reside in Lafayette. ERIC TURNER Speaker Pro Tem, Indiana Representing the 32nd House District P. Eric Turner is a twelve-term member of the Indiana House of Representatives, having first been elected in 1982, at the young age of 30. He serves as Speaker Pro Tempore of the Indiana House. He is a member of the Ways & Means Committee, Rules & Legislative Procedures and Public Health Committees. Turner is President and CEO of T3 Investments Corporation, a Real Estate and Investment Company; and, is a founding partner of Mainstreet Property Group. Turner is a graduate of Taylor University with a Bachelor of Science degree; and was an All Conference Selection in football. His alma mater awarded him the “2007 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year for Professional Development.” Eric has served on the Board of Directors of several professional and community organizations, including the North Central Indiana Youth for Christ, Taylor University Recruiting Foundation, the Connection Youth Ministry, Lakeview Christian School, Small Business Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, American Pyrotechnic Association, Lightrider, State Legislative Leaders Foundation, Taylor University Hall of Fame, and National Conference of State Legislators. Turner and his wife of 40 years, Cyndy, are the parents of four (4) children, all of which are graduates of Taylor University. They have nine (9) grandchildren. Zeke (36) is Founder and President of Mainstreet Property Group. Jessa (34) is the former General Counsel & Legislative Director for Indiana Family & Social Services Administration and currently operates her own Governmental Affairs Practice – TSS Capitol Group. Kylee (32) is Senior Accountant for Mainstreet Capital Partners. Courtney (25) is in her third year at Regent University School of Law BILL DIX Senate Republican Leader, Iowa Representing the 32nd House District A third generation farmer, Bill Dix, was born and raised on his family farm near Janesville, Iowa. Bill graduated from Janesville High School in 1981 and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State University in 1985. After college, Bill accepted employment with Cargill, Inc. of Minneapolis as a Sales Manager until 1991. Bill then