Robert Schillerstrom

Chairman, DuPage County Board

Bob Schillerstrom was inaugurated Chairman of the DuPage County Board in 1998, and focused his first term in office on initiatives designed to improve the quality of life in the growing suburban county and to put DuPage County back on the right track.

As Chairman, Schillerstrom followed through on pledges to preserve open space, improve the county infrastructure, implement ethics and purchasing reforms and strengthen law enforcement, all while holding the line on taxes and protecting the county's fiscal integrity.
Schillerstrom has streamlined county government and made it more accountable to taxpayers.

A hallmark of Schillerstrom's first term was the investment in improving DuPage County's infrastructure, understanding its importance to economic development and the quality of life for county residents.

An outspoken advocate for regional transportation issues, Schillerstrom led the charge to support a Western Access to O'Hare International Airport. Working with Federal, State and City of Chicago officials, Schillerstrom was able to see Western Access and a North/South by-pass road included in the final O'Hare Modernization Plan and initial funding secured through the 2005 Federal Transportation Bill.

In 2005, Schillerstrom championed an increased dialogue on public transit needs that emphasized the dynamic role the suburbs and collar counties play in the regional economy. By bringing together the Chairs of the Collar Counties, Schillertrstom was able to change the debate from the need for a CTA bailout to the need for a comprehensive review of regional transit.

A strong fiscal conservative, Schillerstrom championed a bill in the Illinois legislature in 2003 to allow the County to utilize taxpayer funds, kept in excessive reserves by the DuPage County Water Commission, to fund critical public health and safety initiatives.

A believer that government must not only do what is mandated but do what is needed, Schillerstrom created a Mental Health Collaborative. The Collaborative, founded in 2005, brings together County government, community organizations, health care providers and businesses to address the growing need for mental health services. This collaborative works along Schillerstrom management principals; leverage resources, do not duplicate efforts and maximize service to the public.

Schillerstrom has been an active and successful figure in DuPage County politics for two decades. He was elected Chairman of the County Board in November 1998. Previously, he was an elected member of the DuPage County Board and served as a Forest Preserve Commissioner from 1986 to 1992. Schillerstrom served on the DuPage County Regional Planning Commission from 1988 to 1992 and was a Commissioner of the Naperville Park District from 1983 to 1985. He is the Honorary Past president of the DuPage River Coalition.

Bob Schillerstrom lives in Naperville with his wife, Mary Beth O'Connor and their daughter Katie, a senior at Wheaton Academy. Their son Connor is a senior at Georgetown University and son Curtis just began his sophomore year at DePaul University.

Learn more about Chairman Robert J. Schillerstrom at BobSchillerstrom.com