Former Governor Jim Edgar was a true statesman who led a distinguished career in public service. He served the people of Illinois as a state representative, two terms as Secretary of State, and two terms as the 38th Governor of Illinois from 1991 to 1999. As governor, he inherited what was then the largest budget deficit in the state’s history. Governor Edgar was a moderate Republican who worked on a bipartisan basis with representatives and senators on both sides of the aisle from across the state to tackle the state’s massive deficit, balance the budget, and move the state forward in many other areas. 

Former Governor Edgar’s distinguished career in public service did not end there. He went on to establish the Edgar Fellows Program at the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs in 2012. The program is a leadership initiative designed to inspire respectful collaboration among responsible, dedicated leaders from public and private sectors throughout the state, diverse in their race, gender, partisan, and geographical location, to help identify real solutions to the many challenges that our state and many of our communities face today. In his own words, he viewed the diversity within our state as a great strength that can propel progress instead of impeding it. He also believed that by building relationships of mutual trust and respect, you can play a major role in moving Illinois forward. Jim Edgar was a man of great character who led by example through his actions both in and out of the public eye.

In 2022, I had the privilege of being one of only forty individuals selected to be in the tenth class of Edgar Fellows. The program certainly lived up to its excellent reputation. Our class was comprised of a very diverse group of people from all walks of life who learned firsthand the benefit of getting to know each other on a personal basis and setting aside any differences to achieve better outcomes for those we serve. Many of the relationships that we built during our time together three years ago remain strong today. We had the honor of getting to know former Governor Edgar on a personal level during the course of the five-day program, and we will always be grateful for his willingness to share his personal expertise, experiences, and insight with us all in hopes that it makes a difference. 

The Edgar Fellows Program has always exemplified the value in bringing leaders from across the spectrum together in bipartisan collaboration to best address the many challenges that our state and many of our communities face today. My hope is that the Governor’s wishes to see the Edgar Fellows Program continue upon his death be honored, and that other deserving community leaders be given the same opportunity to participate in such an impactful program. In this day of polarizing politics, we must seek out and embrace those who have the courage to focus on solving problems with civility, compassion, and compromise. 

May we all honor his legacy by striving to work together across all levels of government to achieve better outcomes for those we serve.

Always grateful,
John