DeKalb County Board District 2 Election Profiles

Russell Deverell

Background:

Party: Republican, Incumbent

Age: 59

Hometown: Kingston

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural economics from University of Illinois

Career: Farmer, Self-Employed

Main Goals/Platform:

• Supporting infrastructure projects on bridges approaching the end of their life span.

• Keeping taxes down.

• Maintaining roads.

• Avoid giving unnecessary incentives.

• Maintaining DeKalb’s strong rural character.

John Emerson

Background:

Party: Republican, Incumbent

Age: 61

Hometown: Genoa

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture from Illinois State University

Career: Farmer, Self-Employed

Main Goals/Platform:

• Continue to support County programs for the elderly.

• Keep the County looking good with the thought of farms doing their business, industries enlarging and providing more jobs, and residents in homes coexisting in a planned way.

• Support the 40 acre rule for zoning projects.

• Support ongoing bridge infrastructure projects.

• Support the work of the economic development commission in conjunction with cities and towns of DeKalb County in an ongoing effort to attract new businesses.

James Hanson

Background:

Party: Democrat

Age: 48

Hometown: Genoa

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the University of Illinois,

Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) from Northern Illinois University

Career: Focus Factory Manager, Knaack LLC

Main Goals/Platform:

• Support infrastructure improvements that stand on their own merits.

• Continue to support County programs for the elderly.

• Improve County government transparency by disclosing pay, benefits, and any associations with lobbying groups.

• Support communication infrastructure to maintain a leadership position in job growth.

• Support job creation by pushing for an I-90 corridor in the northern part of the county with access from I-90 to Highway 23.