Sheila Simon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sheila Simon
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Simon in 2010
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| 46th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois | |
| In office January 10, 2011 – January 12, 2015 |
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| Governor | Pat Quinn |
| Preceded by | Pat Quinn (2009) |
| Succeeded by | Evelyn Sanguinetti |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 13, 1961 Springfield, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Perry Knop
(m. 1987) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents | Paul Simon Jeanne Hurley |
| Education | Wittenberg University (BA) Georgetown University (JD) |
Sheila J. Simon, born on March 13, 1961, is an American politician. She served as the 46th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois from 2011 to 2015. In 2014, she ran for Illinois State Comptroller but did not win. Sheila Simon is the daughter of Paul Simon, who was a U.S. Senator and also a Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. Her mother was Jeanne Hurley Simon, a former Illinois State Representative.
Today, Sheila Simon is a law professor at the Southern Illinois University School of Law.
Contents
Sheila Simon's Early Life and Education
Sheila Simon earned her Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1983 from Wittenberg University. She then went on to study law, receiving her Juris Doctor (JD) degree in 1987 from Georgetown University Law Center.
After finishing law school, she worked at a legal aid clinic from 1987 to 1992. Here, she helped people who could not afford legal services. From 1992 to 1994, she worked at a law firm in Carbondale, Illinois. Later, from 1994 to 1998, she served as an assistant state's attorney in Jackson County, Illinois. In this role, she worked on cases to help keep the community safe.
Simon is now a law professor at Southern Illinois University Simmons Law School. She also serves as the school’s Associate Dean. In 1998, she helped start a special clinic at the law school. This clinic helps people dealing with difficult family situations. She taught as a clinical assistant professor from 2000 to 2005. She became a clinical associate professor in 2005.
Sheila Simon's Political Journey
Sheila Simon was a member of the Carbondale city council from 2003 to 2007. She later ran for mayor of Carbondale in 2007 but was not elected. After this, Governor Pat Quinn chose her to be part of the Illinois Reform Commission. This group helped create the first rules in Illinois law about how much money people could give to political campaigns.
On October 28, 2019, State Treasurer Mike Frerichs asked Simon to join the Charitable Trust Stabilization Committee. The Illinois Senate approved her appointment on May 26, 2021.
Serving as Lieutenant Governor of Illinois
On March 27, 2010, Democratic leaders in Illinois chose Sheila Simon to be Governor Pat Quinn's running mate. This meant she would run for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois in the November 2010 election. She was chosen even though she had not run in the first primary election.
Simon took the place of Scott Lee Cohen on the ballot. Cohen had won the primary election in February 2010 but decided to step down. Governor Quinn and Sheila Simon worked well together. They had similar goals and political ideas, especially about campaign finance laws. Sheila Simon was sworn into office on January 10, 2011. She served as Lieutenant Governor until January 12, 2015.
State Senate Campaign
On September 7, 2015, Sheila Simon announced she would run for a seat in the Illinois Senate. This seat was becoming open because Senator David Luechtefeld was retiring. However, Simon was defeated by her Republican opponent, Paul Schimpf.
Sheila Simon's Personal Life
Sheila Simon married Perry Knop in 1987. Her husband, Perry Knop, is a Political Science professor. He is also the head of the Social Science department at John A. Logan College. This college is in Carterville, near the Carbondale area. In 2010, they had two daughters who were in college. They also hosted a female exchange student from Peru. Sheila Simon has been a member of the band Loose Gravel for over ten years. She plays the banjo and the bassoon.
See also
- List of female lieutenant governors in the United States
