| Born and raised in South Dakota, moved to Peoria in 1978; B.A., Yankton College, 1971; M.A. in divinity, United Theological Seminary, 1974; staff member, National Farm Worker Ministry; community organizer and program manager, Peoria Friendship House; executive director, Peoria Area Labor Management Council; president, Labor Management Cooperative Health Programs Inc.; Peoria County Board member, 1982-88; Peoria City Council member, 1989-97 (mayor pro tem, 1993-94); member of the NCSL Natural Resources and Infrastructure Committee and Task Force on Energy Supply; first elected to Senate in November 2006; appointed to Senate in December 2006 to fill term of retiring Senator George Shadid; married with three daughters, two sons-in-law, one daughter-in-law, three granddaughters and one grandson. |