| Dan Rutherford | |
|---|---|
| Illinois Treasurer | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 10, 2011 |
|
| Governor | Pat Quinn |
| Preceded by | Alexi Giannoulias |
| Member of the Illinois Senate from the 53rd district |
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| In office 2003 – January 10, 2011 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | May 26, 1955 Pontiac, Illinois |
| Political party | Republican |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Religion | Methodist |
Dan Rutherford is the Illinois Treasurer. He served as a Republican member of the Illinois Senate, representing the 53rd district, from 2003 to 2011, and in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1993 through 2002.
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Rutherford was born in Pontiac, Illinois, and attended Pontiac Township High School. Following high school, Rutherford attended Illinois State University. While at Illinois State University, Rutherford was elected Student Body President.
While on a business trip to Japan in 1984, Rutherford became familiar with the ServiceMaster Company. One year later, he joined the Downers Grove, Illinois-headquartered company as an executive. Rutherford eventually became responsible for expansion of the company's businesses internationally, licensing services in Chile, Brazil, Honduras, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Guam, Venezuela, South Africa, Spain, and a host of other countries. ServiceMaster is a family of service companies with trade names such as ServiceMaster clean, Terminix, Tru-Green Chem Lawn, Merry Maids, American Home Shield, and Rescue Rooter.
Dan Rutherford's public service career began following his graduation from Illinois State University as a legislative assistant in Springfield. In the GOP Primary of 1980, Rutherford (then 24) coordinated a Congressional District for Governor Ronald Reagan's campaign. Rutherford's work in coordinating that congressional district earned recognition from the Reagan National Campaign and he was subsequently tapped to serve as the Executive Director for the 1980 Reagan-Bush campaign.
In 1993, Rutherford was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives. Rutherford eventually rose to the position of Assistant Republican Leader.
Following 10 years of service in that body, Rutherford was elected in 2003 to represent Illinois' 53rd district in the Senate. In the Senate, Rutherford serves as the ranking Republican for the Financial Institutions Committee and is a member of the Environment & Energy Committee. Senator Rutherford also serves on the bi-partisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.
As a lawmaker, Senator Dan Rutherford has sponsored and directed legislation which fundamentally changes the formula for reimbursing nursing homes for care of the elderly. The new system bases rates on the medical needs of the resident, rather than just their geographic location in the state.
On September 12, 2005, Rutherford officially announced his campaign for the office of Illinois Secretary of State. Rutherford faced incumbent Democrat Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, of Jesse White Tumbling Team fame, and Green Party candidate Karen Young Peterson,[1] in the November, 2006 election, but lost to Jesse White.
Rutherford won the open seat of Illinois Treasurer. Also running were Democratic nominee Robin Kelly, Constitution Party nominee Dawn Czarny, Green Party Party nominee Scott K. Summers, Libertarian nominee James Pauly, and Independent Conservative Christopher Pedersen.
As a young man, Dan enjoyed camping, fishing and adventure. In high school he was a foreign exchange student to Barbados, after graduating college he backpacked across Europe and in his mid twenties he took a few months to lead safaris in Kenya. Rutherford learned to sail boats and crewed for numerous Chicago to Mackinac Island Races, competed in regattas off of Melbourne and cruised the southern coast of Australia. Before his 30th birthday, Dan joined a small group of adventurers and the 12 of them took three months crossing Africa in their diesel Bedford truck; camping, bathing in creeks, open fire meals, and using sand mats to cross the Sahara. He started in Algeria and went south through Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Zaire and Burundi.
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