Longtime Sangamon County Board member George Preckwinkle resigns

Leland Grove businessman George W. Preckwinkle, who has been on the Sangamon County Board since 2007, has resigned effective immediately.

Board Chairman Andy Van Meter informed other members in an email Thursday afternoon.

Preckwinkle, who splits time between Springfield and his home in Florida, owns 13 central Illinois Ace Hardware stores with his sister, Lucy Stafford of Pleasant Plains.

The decision to step down was bittersweet, he said.

"I'm elected to serve the people and my business and personal schedules have just gotten to where I can't hardly do my role as a county board member," said Preckwinkle, reached by phone Thursday. "It was a challenge last year and it's just off the charts this year.

"It's a huge honor and it's been an absolute pleasure to serve."

Preckwinkle was appointed to the county board in District 25 in 2007 and first ran in 2008.

Preckwinkle currently serves as chair of the finance committee. He also serves on the jail, OEM/911, and rural transportation committees.

He filed for reelection in November.

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Van Meter said Preckwinkle left "an indelible mark" on the county for his service.

"George has been instrumental in maintaining our sound fiscal condition," Van Meter said. "He has been a voice of reason and comity on so many issues.

"During George’s tenure on the board, I don’t think we’ve spent a single dime that he didn’t check each side of the coin. We will miss his valuable contributions, and filling his shoes will be a challenging task."

Preckwinkle has a long record of serving on boards in the Springfield area and he was involved in the local Boy Scouts council.

Preckwinkle still serves as a trustee for Blackburn College in Carlinville. He has served in the past as president of the Memorial Medical Center Foundation, president of the YMCA of Springfield and as campaign chair for United Way of Central Illinois.

He was a finalist for the SJ-R First Citizen in 2018.

A Springfield native, Preckwinkle is a graduate of Springfield High School, Southern Methodist University and Southern Methodist University Law School.

Applications for Preckwinkle's seat will be taken through Feb. 2 with the idea of seating a replacement at the Feb. 13 meeting, a news release indicated.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: George Preckwinkle resigns from Sangamon County Board