Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) of Northeastern Illinois Chairman Kirk Dillard has been chosen to receive a 2017 Local Distinguished Service Award by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), an international association of 1,500 public and private sector organizations, engaged in the areas of bus, paratransit, light rail, commuter rail, subways, waterborne services, and intercity and high-speed passenger rail. The APTA “best of the best” awards recognize excellence in the public transportation industry in North America, on both the individual and organizational level. Chairman Dillard has a long history of “moving things forward” in Illinois. He is a lifelong transit rider and regularly rides the RTA regional system from his suburban home to his offices in downtown Chicago, where he is a partner at Locke Lord LLP, one of Chicago’s oldest and largest law firms.

Before becoming RTA chairman in 2014, Chairman Dillard served as the Republican senator for the 24th District of the Illinois State Senate for nearly 20 years. During this time, he was widely known to work “across the aisle” to build consensus. As state senator, Chairman Dillard served on the Transportation Committee, was a strong supporter of public transportation, and the sponsor of the Secretary of State’s Railroad Safety Initiatives, which resulted in a significant drop in grade-crossing fatalities. Prior to serving as state senator, Chairman Dillard served with distinction as Chief of Staff to former Governor Jim Edgar and as Legislative Director to former Governor James Thompson. Chairman Dillard and the other award recipients will receive their awards at the APTA annual meeting/EXPO on October 10 in Atlanta, Georgia.