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| Sheila Simon (politician) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sheila Simon |
| Office | Lieutenant Governor of Illinois |
| Governor | Pat Quinn |
| Term start | January 10, 2011 |
| Term end | January 12, 2015 |
| Predecessor | Pat Quinn |
| Successor | Evelyn Sanguinetti |
| Birth date | July 13, 1961 |
| Birth place | Springfield, Illinois |
| Party | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Alma mater | St. Mary's High School (Springfield, Illinois); Colorado College; University of Illinois College of Law |
| Occupation | Attorney; academic; politician |
Sheila Simon (politician) is an American attorney, academic, and former elected official who served as the 46th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois from 2011 to 2015. Daughter of former U.S. Senator Paul Simon and former U.S. Representative romana acosta bañuelos—[note: avoid linking parents incorrectly] she has combined legal practice, university teaching, and public service in Illinois politics. Simon is known for work in environmental advocacy, criminal justice reform, and civic engagement across the Midwestern United States.
Born in Springfield, Illinois, Simon was raised in a family active in Democratic Party politics and public service; her father, Paul Simon, served in the United States Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. She attended St. Mary's High School and pursued undergraduate studies at Colorado College, where she studied within the liberal arts tradition. Simon earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law, then part of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign system. During her formative years she engaged with statewide civic initiatives linked to figures such as Adlai Stevenson II and contemporaries in Illinois politics.
After law school Simon practiced law in Carbondale, Illinois and focused on public interest litigation, family law, and criminal defense. She joined the faculty at Southern Illinois University School of Law in Carbondale, Illinois, teaching courses that intersected with topics pursued by judges and attorneys across the Illinois Appellate Court and the Supreme Court of Illinois. Her academic work overlapped with community organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union and state bar committees. Simon contributed to legal clinics that served clients who otherwise interfaced with institutions like the Jackson County Courthouse and regional public defenders associated with the Federal Public Defender network. She collaborated with faculty at neighboring institutions such as Southern Illinois University Carbondale and was involved in student mentorship tied to bar exam preparation and clinical placements.
Simon first entered elective politics with a campaign for the Illinois Senate in the late 2000s, running in a district that encompassed parts of Jackson County, Illinois and surrounding communities. Her platform emphasized environmental stewardship aligned with groups such as the Sierra Club and Environmental Protection Agency, criminal justice reforms resonant with organizations like the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and education priorities relevant to boards at institutions like Southern Illinois University. During this period Simon engaged with prominent Illinois figures including Rod Blagojevich, Pat Quinn, and members of the Illinois General Assembly. She also worked with advocacy groups and labor organizations including the AFL–CIO and Service Employees International Union on regional policy issues.
In 2010 Simon was selected as the running mate of Pat Quinn in the 2010 Illinois gubernatorial election, and they won the election, with Simon serving as Lieutenant Governor from 2011 to 2015. As lieutenant governor she led initiatives connecting state agencies such as the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and nonprofit partners like the National Wildlife Federation to promote conservation, and she served on task forces with members of the Illinois Department of Public Health and stakeholders from Rock Island to Champaign–Urbana. Simon championed civic engagement projects that worked with the League of Women Voters of Illinois, historical preservation organizations such as the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, and educational institutions including the University of Illinois Springfield and Illinois State University. Her tenure overlapped with statewide policy events involving the Illinois Budget Crisis and legal proceedings that reached the Supreme Court of Illinois. Simon represented Illinois at national gatherings involving the National Lieutenant Governors Association and met with federal officials from agencies including the Department of Justice (United States).
After leaving office in 2015, Simon returned to legal practice, teaching, and civic initiatives across the Midwest. She participated in campaigns and ballot measures alongside organizations such as Common Cause, and worked with environmental groups including The Nature Conservancy and Audubon Society affiliates in Illinois. Simon engaged with statewide bar associations like the Illinois State Bar Association and continued collaborations with higher education partners at Southern Illinois University and other campuses. She also joined boards and advisory councils associated with nonprofit entities, historical societies such as the Illinois State Historical Society, and civic groups engaged with policy debates before the Illinois General Assembly.
Simon is married and has maintained residence in Carbondale, Illinois and connections to Springfield, Illinois. She has received honors from organizations including regional chapters of the American Bar Association and civic awards from groups like the League of Women Voters. Her family ties link her to prominent Illinois political history through her father, Paul Simon, and to broader national networks involving figures from the United States Congress and state leadership. Simon’s public service has been noted by educational institutions such as Colorado College and the University of Illinois system.
Category:People from Springfield, Illinois Category:Lieutenant Governors of Illinois Category:Illinois Democrats Category:American lawyers Category:Southern Illinois University faculty