Kirk Dillard

Kirk Dillard is Chairman of the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) Board of Directors.   Chairman Dillard and the RTA Board oversee the nation’s second-largest public transportation system, which serves more than eight million residents in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties.  Through his leadership the Board has approved balanced regional transit operating budgets and five-year capital programs annually. Chairman Dillard is a lifelong resident of the region and has been a rider of public transportation for more than 50 years, riding the Chicago Transit Authority buses and trains since early childhood, and now is a regular rider of Metra. He is a staunch advocate for transit funding throughout the region appearing on countless media outlets and speaking at many regional events. He is a recipient the American Public Transportation Association’s ‘Best of the Best’ award for his leadership of Chicagoland’s mass transit system.

Chairman Dillard served as a Republican senator from Chicago's western suburbs in the Illinois State Senate for nearly 20 years. Prior to serving as senator, Chairman Dillard served with distinction as Chief of Staff to former Governor Jim Edgar and as Legislative Director to former Governor James Thompson. He is currently a partner at Locke Lord LLP, one of Chicago’s oldest and largest law firms. You can follow Chairman Dillard on Twitter @KDillardRTA.