Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant

Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant is a politician who is currently serving as the Will County Executive, having been elected in 2020. She was a member of the Illinois Senate for the 49th district. The 49th district includes all or part of Bolingbrook, Crest Hill, Joliet, Oswego, Plainfield, Romeoville and Shorewood.[1] Prior to her service as an Illinois State Senator, she served as the Will County Superintendent of Schools and as both and educator and administrator in public and private schools.

Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant
Will County Executive
Assumed office
November 2020 (2020-Nov)
Preceded byDenise Winfrey (interim)
Lawrence M. Walsh Sr.
Member of the Illinois Senate
from the 49th district
In office
January 9, 2013 (2013-Jan-09) – November 2020 (2020-November)
Preceded bySam McCann (redistricted)
Succeeded byMeg Loughran Cappel
Will County Regional
Superintendent of Schools
In office
July 2007 (2007-Jul) – January 2013 (2013-Jan)
Preceded byRichard P. Duran
Succeeded byShawn Walsh
Personal details
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
ResidenceShorewood, Illinois
Alma materIllinois State University (B.A.)
University of St. Francis (M.S.)
Loyola University (Ed.D.)
ProfessionEducator

Early life, education and career

She attended the University of St. Francis and received a masters in Curriculum and Instruction with a secondary teaching certificate in History/Social Sciences. She later earned a doctorate in education with Superintendent's Endorsement from Loyola University. She has worked as a teacher and administrator in both public and private schools in Will County.[2]

Bertino-Tarrant is a lifelong resident of Will County and is the owner-operator of a family business operating in Joliet. She is also involved in the Joliet Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and the Troy Educational Foundation Board. She is a parishioner at St. Paul the Apostle Church.[3]

Will County Superintendent of Schools

In 2007, Bertino-Tarrant unseated the incumbent to become the Will County Regional Superintendent of Schools. The Will County Regional Superintendent heads the Regional Office of Education (ROE) for Will County. The office acts as an intermediate between the State Board of Education and local school districts. The office administers truancy prevention, GED testing, life safety inspections of school buildings, bus driver training, continuing education for educators and assisting school districts in complying with various state laws.[4] In her capacity as Superintendent, she also serves as the ex-oficio Secretary of the Will County Regional Board of School Trustees.[5]

As Regional Superintendent, she established Lincoln School as an alternative program for at-risk students. The program is a hybrid of computer-based classes with direct teacher instruction.[6]

Illinois State Senator

2012 election

Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant was the Democratic nominee for the 49th State Senate district facing Garrett Peck in the general election. In the general election she was endorsed by the AFL-CIO, Associated Firefighters of Illinois, Illinois Education Association and Illinois Farm Bureau.[7]

On election night, Bertino-Tarrant defeated Peck to become the State Senator elect from the 49th district.[8]

Illinois State Senate District 49 election – 2012
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant 41,766 52.73
Republican Garrett Peck 37,439 47.27
Total votes 79,205 100

Tenure

Bertino-Tarrant's associated representatives will be District 97 Representative Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) and District 98 Representative Natalie Manley (D-Joliet). In 2018, Governor-elect J.B. Pritzker appointed Bertino-Tarrant to the Educational Success transition committee, which is responsible for state education policy.[9] In 2020, Bertino-Tarrant opted to run for Will County Executive and was succeeded in the Illinois Senate by fellow Democrat Meg Loughran Cappel.[10] Loughran Cappel was sworn in early, on December 10, 2020, to fill the vacancy left by Bertino-Tarrant's assumption of her County Executive position.[11]

References
  1. "PA 97-0006 Legislative District 49" (PDF). 2011-05-18. Retrieved 2015-09-07.
  2. "Plainfield Patch Candidate Profile". Archived from the original on 2012-11-10.
  3. "Chicago Daily Herald Candidate Profile". 18 September 2012.
  4. "About the Will County Regional Superintendent". Archived from the original on 2010-09-15. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
  5. "Will County Regional Board of School Trustees". Archived from the original on 2012-07-04.
  6. "Official Campaign Biography". Archived from the original on 2013-01-23. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
  7. "Official Campaign Endorsements". Archived from the original on 2013-01-18. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
  8. "Plainfield Patch Election Night Report". 6 November 2012.
  9. Miller, Rich (November 27, 2018). "Pritzker transition announces Educational Success Committee". Capitol Fax. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  10. Barlow, Sarah E. (ed.). "Biographies of New House and Senate Members" (PDF). First Reading. Illinois General Assembly Legislative Research Unit. 34 (1). Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  11. Ortiz, Alex (December 12, 2020). "Loughran Cappel sworn in to represent Illinois 49th Senate District". The Herald-News. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
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