On September 30, state senator and gubernatorial candidate Kirk Dillard visited Elmhurst College to present a lecture, Making Illinois a Destination Economy for Job Creation and Families.

The lecture was part of Elmhurst College’s Fixing Illinois lecture series.

State Sen. Dillard represents the northeastern portion of DuPage and western Cook counties. In July, he announced his candidacy in the race for governor of Illinois. Before his election to the state Senate, Dillard worked as a judge for the Illinois Court of Claims and was named chief of staff for then-Governor Jim Edgar. He recently was appointed the assistant Republican leader in Springfield. Earlier this year, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce presented Dillard with the “Champion of Free Enterprise Award.”

In June, Elmhurst College launched Fixing Illinois: A Great State’s Problems and Promise, with the goal of starting an ongoing discussion about the challenges that Illinois faces, and empowering citizens to help address those challenges and move the state forward.

Previous speakers include businessman and gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner, Illinois State Representative Dennis Reboletti, and political commentator Dan Proft.