Ron Michaelson: 29 Years at the Illinois State Board of Elections
RON MICHAELSON: 29 YEARS AT THE ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS
· Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to my friend Dr. Ronald D. Michaelson. Ron Michaelson will retire in June after 29 years of outstanding service to Illinois as the executive director of the Illinois State Board of Elections. I want to salute his dedication to public service and briefly share his story with you today.
Dr. Michaelson grew up in Chicago. He received a bachelor of arts degree from Wheaton College in 1963, a master of arts degree in political science from Northwestern University in 1965, and a Ph.D. in government from Southern Illinois University in 1970.
Dr. Michaelson went on to devote his life to public service. He began his professional career working in State government as an assistant to former Illinois Governor Richard Ogilvie. He then spent several years teaching at Sangamon State University. His interest in the political arena remained, however, and in 1974 he returned to that arena to head the newly created State board of elections. The board was formed to interpret election laws and coordinate procedures for holding elections, and Dr. Michaelson became the board's first and so far only executive director.
Dr. Michaelson's drive and ambition helped him administer and supervise the agency in a fair and bipartisan manner. He devoted himself and his 65 staff members to creating one of the most respected campaign disclosure systems in the Nationone that requires candidates to report disclosure statements electronically, making them easily accessible to those interested in a candidate's campaign donations. Dr. Michaelson's success in creating a fair and effective system of campaign disclosure in the tough political environment of Illinois provided a heartening and instructive example for the cause of political openness nationwide.
In addition to his teaching and his work in government, Dr. Michaelson has authored numerous articles that have been published in leading state and national journals. He is the past national chairman of the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws and speaks frequently at conferences in the areas of election administration and campaign finance. He currently serves as an appointee to the advisory committee of the Federal Election Commission and teaches as an adjunct professor of public affairs at the University of Illinois at Springfield.
Dr. Michaelson's dedication to public service will continue beyond his retirement this month. He intends to assist the State board of elections on a part-time basis with the implementation of the recently enacted Help America Vote Act.
In a time of considerable cynicism about public officials, Ron Michaelson's career stands as a shining example of the finest tradition of honorable service to the public: an example of integrity, fairness, hard work, and high standards. I am truly pleased to honor Dr. Michaelson on his retirement from the Illinois State Board of Elections and to thank him for his service to the state of Illinois and for the example he has set in the course of that service. I know my fellow Senators will join me in congratulating Dr. Michaelson on his remarkable career.·