Kirk Dillard, a Chicago lawyer, former influential Illinois GOP lawmaker and WIU alum has been appointed to the Western Illinois University Board of Trustees by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Mr. Dillard replaces Patrick Twomey, Macomb schools superintendent, who served one term on the WIU board.
Mr. Dillard, a partner in the Chicago office of Locke Lord LLP, is a WIU alumnus who served nearly 20 years as a Republican state senator representing Chicago’s western suburbs. He left the General Assembly in 2014 to chair the Northeastern Illinois Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). It’s the nation’s second largest mass transit system, serving over 1 million daily riders, with assets over $150 billion. He also is the independent chair of the country’s first privately owned tollway, the iconic Chicago Skyway, connecting Chicago to northwest Indiana.
Mr. Pritzker called him “an advocate for the public for over 30 years” in the news release announcing Mr. Dillard’s appointment.
For example, in the Illinois Senate, he chaired the Judiciary Committee and the Senate High Tech Technology Task Force.
Among the awards he received are being named to Who’s Who in Chicago Business by “Crain’s Chicago Business” and an Illinois Super Lawyer designation by his peers. The Illinois Farm Bureau also honored him with a Friend of Agriculture award, and he was inducted into the Legislative Staff Hall of Fame by the University of Illinois and “Illinois Issues.”
He served multiple terms as president of WIU’s Alumni Council and was the student trustee on Western’s Board of Governors as an undergraduate.
Before his stint on the Senate, Mr. Dillard served as former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar’s Chief of Staff and the late Gov. James R. Thompson’s director of Legislative Affairs. He also served as a judge on the Illinois Court of Claims and is a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission.
He also has served as an instructor of legal research, writing and moot court at the DePaul University College of Law, where he serves on its Dean’s Advisory Council. He was a lecturer on legislation and statutory interpretation at Loyola University in Chicago and DePaul’s law schools, as well as a mentor to the Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. Mr. Dillard has been a longtime member of the College of DuPage Foundation Board, raising scholarship funding for students.
He received his Bachelor of Arts degree and an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from WIU. He received a Juris Doctorate from the DePaul University College of Law, where he was awarded the American Bar Association Award for Urban, State and Local Government.
“Trustee Dillard’s extensive knowledge of WIU and political experience will serve WIU well,” said WIU President Guiyou Huang. “I look forward to working with him and the rest of the trustees to continue to work together for the betterment of WIU.”
Also last week, Mr. Prtizker reappointed Carin Stutz to Western’s board. Ms. Stutz was originally appointed to the WIU Board of Trustee in October 2019. She received a Bachelor of Science from Western Illinois and a Master of Business Administration from Mid-American Nazarene University.
Ms. Stutz has more than 25 years of experience in executive leadership roles with popular food franchises, including as the current president and CEO of Native Foods. She also received a Western Illinois University’s Distinguished Alumni and Alumni Achievement Award in 2012 and 2019.
