Earlean Collins

Earlean Collins from 1998 to 2013 was a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners representing the 1st district which includes the Humboldt Park, West Garfield Park, Austin and Montclare areas of the City of Chicago as well as the surrounding suburbs of Oak Park, Forest Park, Maywood, Broadview, Westchester, Bellwood and Hillside.In 1976, Collins became the first African American woman elected to the Illinois Senate, where she rose to leadership positions. She left the Senate to run for the Board of Commissioners in for the 1998 election. In 1994, she was the Democratic Party candidate for Comptroller of Illinois.