Nancy Kaszak

Nancy Kaszak
Member of the
Illinois House of Representatives
from the 34th district
In office
January 1993 (1993-Jan) – January 1997 (1997-Jan)
Preceded byAlfred Ronan
Succeeded byLarry McKeon
Personal details
Born (1950-09-21) September 21, 1950 (age 74)
Calumet City, Illinois
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseThomas W. Heaney
ChildrenOne
ResidenceChicago, Illinois
Alma materElmhurst College (B.A.)
Roosevelt University (M.P.A.)
Northern Illinois University (J.D.)
ProfessionAttorney

Nancy Kaszak is an attorney and former Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives. She was born September 21, 1950, in Chicago Heights, Illinois. She attended Elmhurst College, Roosevelt University and Northern Illinois University College of Law.[1]

Kaszak is a former vice president of the Chicago Council of Lawyers, was a Harold Washington appointee to the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, a leader of the Lakeview Citizens' Council, and a leader in the effort to prohibit lights at Wrigley Field.[2]

In the 1987 aldermanic election, she received endorsements from the National Association of Women, AFSCME, IVI-IPO, and former Aldermen William Singer and Dick Simpson. She did not make it to the runoff election, in which Harold Washington ally Helen Shiller defeated incumbent Alderman Jerome Orbach.[3]

In 1992, she ousted incumbent Alfred Ronan with the backing of Richard Mell.[4] Her legislative committee assignments were the following: Committees on Constitutional Officers, Elections & State Government; Environment & Energy; Financial Institutions; Judiciary I.[1] In 1993, she received Outstanding Freshman Legislator awards from the Illinois Hospital Association and the Illinois Health Care Association.

In 1996, she vacated her seat to run for the Democratic nomination in Illinois's 5th congressional district losing to future Governor of Illinois and fellow State Representative Rod Blagojevich.[5] She ran for the seat again in 2002, this time losing to Rahm Emanuel. She endorsed Gery Chico in the 2011 mayoral election.[6]

As of 2021, Kaszak has been the Director of the Illinois Telehealth Initiative of the Partnership for a Connected Illinois, an Illinois 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, aimed at advancing telehealth in Illinois, the broader Midwest and the nation.[7]

  1. ^ a b Illinois Blue Book, 1993-1994. Springfield, Illinois: Illinois Secretary of State. 1994. p. 82.
  2. ^ Golden Jr., Harry (1986-10-03). "Two 46th Ward activists out to unseat Orbach". Chicago Sun-Times.
  3. ^ Fremon, David (1987). "46th Ward". Chicago Politics Ward by Ward. University of Indiana Press. ISBN 978-0253204905.
  4. ^ Kass, John (March 20, 1992). "Mell Shows Who's Boss In Election". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  5. ^ Clymer, Adam (March 20, 1992). "Democrats Hone Swords in Chicago Election". New York Times. New York, New York. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  6. ^ McClelland, Edward (March 20, 1992). "How Not to Get Rahmed". WMAQ-TV. Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  7. ^ Kaszak, Nancy L.; Schmit, Matt (February 12, 2021). Rural Partners Telehealth Series: Sea Change and Opportunities. University of Illinois Extension. 3:43 minutes in. Retrieved November 3, 2023 – via YouTube.