Special Olympics Illinois announces the election of a new member to its Board of Directors at the board’s October meeting.
Frances Ann Hurley of Chicago is currently serving her second term as Illinois State Representative for the 35th District. Through her relationship with Mt. Greenwood Park Therapeutic Recreation Program, she sponsored legislation to create an Illinois Lottery scratch-off ticket and an Illinois Income Tax Check-off to provide additional funding for Special Olympics programs.
“We’re thrilled to have Rep. Hurley join our Board of Directors,” said Jim Corrigan, Special Olympics Illinois Board Chair. “She’s been a tireless advocate for Special Olympics Illinois and instrumental in creating legislation for both our scratch-off Lottery ticket and state of Illinois income tax check-off box. We look forward to working with her on further initiatives that continue to spread the mission of Special Olympics Illinois.”
Rep. Hurley serves on the House Committees for Youth & Young Adults, Labor & Commerce, Consumer Protection, Appropriations – General Service, Health Care Licenses, Substance Abuse, and Transportation: Regulation, Roads and Bridges. She serves as Vice Chair of the Special Needs Committee. Hurley passed critical legislations to protect children in places like McDonald’s and Chuck E. Cheese’s by prohibiting sex offenders from loitering in these areas. She also sponsored and passed legislation to increase penalties for assaulting a police officer, firefighter or emergency service worker.
Prior to her service in the General Assembly, Hurley served as an aide to Alderman Matthew O’Shea and former Alderman Virginia Rugia. A lifelong resident of Chicago’s South Side, Hurley is a graduate of Saint Xavier University.
Hurley also volunteers within the community with causes that are important to many local families. She helped secure a $100,000 state grant for the Beverly Art Center as a part of a fundraiser to save the center. She has three grown children Nate, Nick and Emily, and is a member of Saint Christina Parish in Chicago’s Mount Greenwood community.