| Karen Hasara | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Springfield, Illinois | |
| In office 1995 – April 1, 2003 |
|
| Preceded by | Ossie Langfelder |
| Succeeded by | Timothy Davlin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 1, 1940 (age 60) Chicago, Illinois |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois at Springfield |
| Occupation | Politician |
Karen Hasara is a Republican leader in Illinois, having served as an elected official for 28 years. She currently serves as a Trustee of the Springfield Mass Transit District. [1]
Hasara began her government career by being elected to the Sangamon County Board in 1975, and served as Sangamon County Circuit Clerk from 1980 to 1985.
In 1986, Hasara was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives, where she served the 100th District, until being elected to the Illinois Senate in the newly formed 50th Legislative District in 1992.
In 1995, Hasara won a highly contested election, to become the first female mayor of Springfield, Illinois. She was re-elected in 1999, and served until her term ended in 2003. As mayor, she made two trips to Ukraine, and Springfield became one of the partners of the U.S. Ukraine Foundation. Mayor Hasara was also greatly involved in Sister Cities International, and under her leadership, Springfield gained two additional sister cities (in Mexico and Ireland).
Hasara currently serves on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy. [2] Since leaving elected office, she has worked in Russia and several Eastern European countries, in the fields of tourism and economic development. As part of the Women in Government program, she has trained women in these nations in areas such a being candidates for office, constituent services, and other matters.
Hasara has also served on the boards of the World Affairs Council and the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, and is the Secretary of the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation, as well as a member of the Rotary Club and the Junior League of Springfield. In 2007, she was appointed Trustee of the Springfield Mass Transit District.
More recently, Hasara endorsed Aaron Schock in the 2008 Republican primary for the U.S. House of Representatives in Illinois' 18th congressional district, and appeared both in mailers and a television ad [3] for his campaign.
Before entering public service, Hasara was a real estate broker and Director of the National Academy of Real Estate school in Springfield. She previously worked as a teacher at a local elementary school. In 1973, she earned a B.S. in psychology and elementary education from Sangamon State University (now the University of Illinois at Springfield), and returned to UIS to earn an M.A. in legal studies in 1992.