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Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon offers a lifetime and legacy of public service. She is a lawyer, teacher, and working mother. Her record includes four years as a Jackson County prosecutor, four years as a Carbondale city council member, and participation in the Illinois Reform Commission.
Simon graduated from Georgetown law school in 1987. Instead of choosing a big firm, she chose to work at Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance, providing legal services to those most in need. She advocated for people facing domestic violence, discrimination, and loss of housing. One person at a time, one case at a time, Simon helped to make a difference in people's lives.
Simon then worked as an Assistant State's Attorney in Jackson County, where she prosecuted DUIs and domestic battery cases. She also helped start Southern Illinois University's law school domestic violence clinic, which continues to serve clients and train law students.
For Simon, serving the community also means political participation. She served on the Carbondale city council for four years. As a council member she was a conservative steward of the city's budget of over $40 million, and consistently advocated for open, ethical government. Her record on ethics made her a natural choice for service on Governor Quinn's Illinois Reform Commission, which helped to establish the first political contribution limits in Illinois law.
Family has been and continues to be an important part of Simon's life. Her parents, the late Paul and Jeanne Simon, served in the Illinois House together, and were a lifelong team of public servants. Her father, Paul, is remembered across the state for his honesty and integrity in public service.
Simon and her husband, Perry, were married in 1987. Perry teaches at John A. Logan Community College in Carterville, Illinois. Their daughter Reilly is in college and their daughter Brennan is in high school. Filling out their extended family are the members of Simon�s band, Loose Gravel, with whom she has performed for over 10 years.
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