News

College Names Lee Daniels to Government Relations Post

By OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS   |   July 8, 2011

Elmhurst College has appointed Lee A. Daniels, a veteran lawmaker and former speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, to the position of Special Assistant to the President for Government and Community Relations.

A longtime friend of the College, Daniels is a distinguished fellow and adjunct member of the faculty in the Department of Political Science, where he teaches courses on local, state and federal government. He has served President S. Alan Ray and his administrative colleagues for years as a valuable source of advice and counsel on government, corporate and community relations. In his new role, Daniels will enlarge his already expansive service to the College.  

“Lee Daniels has been a lifelong, effective champion of Elmhurst and of education at all levels,” said President Ray. “His service to the College and community has only grown since he completed his distinguished career in the Illinois General Assembly. His decision to join us formally in a new strategic role will help Elmhurst College to realize its ambitious plans to achieve a higher level of service to students and society.”

Daniels will serve President Ray in a consulting position, helping the institution to advance its mission and realize its strategic goals by fostering collaborations with community groups and state and federal offices. He will work to secure funding for the major initiatives outlined in the Elmhurst College Strategic Plan 2009-2014, and will broaden and deepen the College’s relationships with the Chicago area’s civic and corporate leadership. He also will lead the planning of the campus’s annual Governmental Forum, and help to enrich the institution’s already robust calendar of cultural programming.

“My admiration and respect for Elmhurst College is well-known throughout this community and in the halls of government,” Daniels said. “I consider it the highest honor to be asked to fill this important position, and pledge my utmost efforts to help fulfill the mission of the school and its administration.”

A lifelong resident of Elmhurst, Daniels served in the General Assembly as a state representative for the 46th District from 1975 to 2007. He was elected as House Republican leader in 1983 and served until 2003. He was speaker of the House from 1995 to 1997. Known as a champion for education and the rights of the mentally and physically challenged, Daniels has received numerous local and national honors for his government service.

He and his wife, Pam, have five children and six grandchildren.