DeKalb’s Brown to run for State Representative

By Laurel Marselle

DeKalb resident Bob Brown announced Friday he will run as the Democratic candidate for the office of State Representative from the 70th District of Illinois.

Brown is a graduate of St. Mary’s School, DeKalb High School and the University of Illinois. He completed his freshman and sophomore years of college at NIU.

According to published reports, Brown said he will try to increase voter enrollment in the area’s growing Hispanic population. He also hopes to stimulate interest among NIU faculty, staff and students to offset the traditional Republican leanings of the district, which includes most of DeKalb and parts of LaSalle and Ogle counties.

He said he expected his years of working in the area’s civil and professional groups will result in a substantial number of Republicans switching over to vote for him.

Brown’s professional career has involved the fields of education, agriculture and health care, spanning from northern Illinois to Washington, D.C.

His experience includes leadership positions at NIU, the DeKalb Genetics Corporation, the University of Illinois President’s Office and U of I’s DeKalb County Extension and the U.S. Grains Council in Washington, D.C.

As director of alumni and parents giving at NIU, he represented NIU at Illinois Higher Education legislative relations meetings in Springfield and Champaign.

Brown currently is the director of development with Provena Health Senior Services in Rockford.

He has worked to improve the community as a volunteer for the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, the DeKalb United Way and the DeKalb County Community Foundation.

Brown, 55, seeks to succeed David Wirsing, the six-term Republican who died unexpectedly Nov. 16.

“Over the years, I worked closely with Dave to seek increased funding for higher education,” Brown said. “I also am a moderate and believe that I can carry on Dave’s tradition of giving 100 percent to represent our district’s core constituents in Springfield.”

Robert Pritchard, DeKalb County board chairman, was selected to fill Wirsing’s vacant seat last week until the term ends in January 2005.