Representative Suzanne Ness currently serves as the State Representative for Illinois’ 66th House District. Prior to joining the Illinois General Assembly Suzanne served as a McHenry County Board Member for District 2 from 2018-2020. In her role as State Representative, Suzanne has brought in over 34 million dollars to the district, successfully sponsored and passed 11 bills that were signed into law, and consistently advocated for the needs of her constituents.
Suzanne’s professional and personal experience has prepared her well for a life in public service. As a small business owner, she worked with companies to develop employee skills, improve morale, strategically plan for the future, and build value driven organizations. She has helped build local business networking groups, and started a non-profit 10 years ago that brought leadership development, coaching, and mentorship skills to local teens. The program has continued to grow under her leadership and has become a community-building enterprise as teens then mentor elementary school kids and volunteer at a local daycare.
Family serves as a “north star” in Suzanne’s life. Suzanne is the oldest of 4 sisters, all of whom are active in the community. She is the daughter of a trail-blazing community activist and a talented musician. Suzanne is a wife, mother to 3 adult children, mother-in-law, grandmother, and aunt to many nieces and nephews. She hopes that her work will lead to a brighter future for all of them.
In her spare time, Suzanne enjoys running and training for marathons (she’s ran in 4 and is looking forward to competing in more), reading, volunteering, listening to music, and spending time with friends and family. Suzanne grew up in Marengo and resides in Crystal Lake with her husband Robert.
Suzanne has a B.S. in Communications from Arizona State University; M.A. from University of Phoenix.