Eric Leys
Eric Scott Leys | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member, Board of Education - Maine Township High School District 207 | |
| Assumed office November 12, 2001 | |
| President, Board of Education - Maine Township High School District 207 | |
| In office April 11, 2005 – May 7, 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Edward Mueller |
| Succeeded by | Joann Braam |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 7, 1979 Arlington Heights, Illinois, United States |
| Spouse(s) | none |
| Residence | Des Plaines, Illinois |
| Occupation | Auto Dealership Executive |
| Website | www.ericleys.com |
Eric Scott Leys (born December 7, 1979), is an American politician. He has been a member of the Board of Education (a non-partisan, elected office) for Maine Township High School District 207 in Cook County, Illinois, since 2001. Leys' career in local elective office began at age 21, and he has also been active in Republican Party politics and campaigns on a state and national level throughout numerous election cycles.
Early life, education and career[edit]
Leys was born in Arlington Heights, Illinois, the youngest of three children of Rodger Leys, a High School Mathematics teacher (a Maine 207 retiree) and Jeanette Leys (Bolt), a Registered Nurse. Leys was raised in suburban Des Plaines, Illinois where he attended Cumberland Elementary School and Chippewa Junior High School (now Chippewa Middle School), and Maine West High School.[1] Leys was the first graduate of Maine West High School to become an elected school board member in District 207.
Leys showed an early interest in student government at Maine West, where he served as a representative to Class Council and Student Council, and was ultimately elected at the end of his Junior year as Maine West’s Senior Class President.[2] Leys was an active student at Maine West enrolling in advanced placement classes, acting in plays, and competing on the school’s Speech Team, Scholastic Bowl, and Mock Trial teams.
During Leys’ Senior year at Maine West High School, he represented his fellow students on a number of occasions as Senior Class President, making presentations to the Maine 207 Board of Education.[3][4]
Following graduation from Maine West, Leys enrolled in the University of Maryland-College Park and later DePaul University in Chicago and although he has completed some college coursework, he does not possess a college degree.
Leys is employed as General Sales Manager at Acura of Libertyville[5] (an Acura automobile dealership) in Libertyville, Illinois, and has worked there since 2001.
Political activities[edit]
Leys served as a Director of the Maine Township, Illinois Regular Republican Organization during the 2004-2005 term. Leys has also served in various capacities in the Republican Party and in various roles in Republican campaigns since 1994. In 2004, Leys attended the Republican National Convention in New York City as part of the Illinois Delegation Host Committee. Leys was also part of the Illinois Republican Party Delegation to the 55th Presidential Inauguration of President George W. Bush in January 2005.
In 2012, Leys was elected from Illinois's 10th congressional district as a Republican Alternate Delegate committed Mitt Romney. Leys was asked to serve on Romney's Delegate Slate by Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford, who was Romney's Campaign Chairman in Illinois.[6]
Board of Education service[edit]
Leys was elected to his first term on the Maine Township High Schools Board of Education in 2001 in a six-way race at age 21. In April 2005, Leys was re-elected to a second term. Upon reorganization of the board following the April 2005 Consolidated Municipal Elections, Leys was unanimously elected President of the Board of Education. At the time of his first election to the school board, Leys was one of the youngest elected officials in the State of Illinois.
In 2009, Eric Leys was re-elected to a third term of service in a contested six-way race that produced mixed results for incumbent board members (Leys and Edward Mueller were retained by voters, Jeffrey Bergen retired from board service, and Marijo Bustos was not retained by voters. Newcomers Eldon Burk and Margaret McGrath were elected to their first terms of service in 2009.)[7] Following reorganization of the school board in May 2009, Leys was named by School Board President Edward Mueller to serve as Chairman of the board's Policy Committee, a role that Leys has held for several years in the past.
During the 2009 election cycle, Leys supported establishing a system of merit pay for District 207's certified staff, producing a white paper titled "Modernizing Teacher Pay in Maine 207".[8] In the days following Leys' announcement of this campaign position on March 18, 2009, the Maine Teachers Association (an IEA-NEA affiliate labor union representing District 207's certified staff) declined to endorse Leys for re-election to a third term on the school board.[9] To support their endorsements, the Maine Teachers Association engaged in voter canvassing efforts in the community that had not occurred in the prior six election cycles.[10] According to filings with the Illinois State Board of Elections, the Maine Teachers Association political action committee ("Maine Teachers Assn PACE"), spent $3,766 on election-related activities in the 2009 election cycle.[11] Despite failing to secure endorsement of the school district's labor union for certified staff, Leys did receive the endorsement of several local media outlets including the Journal & Topics Newspapers,[12] the Pioneer Press Newspapers,[13] and Daily Herald[14] and a number of local elected officials.[15]
In September 2012, Leys obtained papers to seek the office of 7th Ward Alderman for the City of Des Plaines[16] and filed candidacy papers for that office on December 16, 2012.[17] Leys also filed for both the 2-Year (Unexpired term of Joann Braam) and 4-Year full term for re-election to the District 207 Board of Education.[18] On January 2, 2013, Leys announced that he would withdraw from the race for 7th Ward Alderman to focus on re-election to the District 207 Board of Education, opting for the open 2-Year Term.[19][20] Leys was elected to his fourth term on April 9, 2013.[21]
Leys was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Illinois Association of School Boards in 2013 after serving as Chair from 2009-2013.[22][23] Leys had previously served on the Executive Board of the North Cook Division of the Association since 2005. Leys has been very active with state association, and served as District 207's delegate to the annual association's Delegate Assembly during the years 2003-2012. In 2002, he served as Alternate Delegate. Leys is the only currently seated District 207 board member to have received a designation of "Master School Board Member" by the Illinois Association of School Boards. Leys term as Director ends in September 2015.
Eric Leys has served as a member of the ED-RED Executive Committee representing District 207 from 2004-2013. ED-RED, "the voice of suburban schools," is an advocacy organization that monitors and actively influences education policy at the Illinois Statehouse, particularly issues that are priorities for our member school districts. ED-RED has approximately 100 "member" districts, primarily from suburban Chicago, Illinois.
Leys is a graduate of Maine West High School in Des Plaines, Illinois, one of three large suburban high schools governed by the District 207 Board of Education. In addition to Maine West High School, District 207 also includes Maine South High School and Maine East High School, both in Park Ridge, Illinois. Leys' present term on the Maine Township High Schools Board of Education expires in April 2015.
State Senate speculation[edit]
On July 1, 2005, state Senator Dave Sullivan who represented a portion of Chicago's northwest suburbs announced that he would not seek reelection in 2006 and would resign in the following months. Leys was named among a crowded field that included local committeeman Mark Thompson, Des Plaines Mayor Tony Arredia, Arlington Heights Mayor Arlene Mulder, and Elk Grove Township Clerk Cheryl Axley.
The Chicago Tribune reported on September 6, 2005 that Leys was one of three "favorites"[24] to succeed Sullivan, who announced that his resignation would be effective September 12, 2005.
On September 17, 2005, Republican committeemen of the 33rd State Senate District met, and Cheryl Axley was appointed. Cheryl Axley served the unexpired portion of David Sullivan's term and sought election to a full term in November 2006, when she was defeated by Democrat Dan Kotowski.
Local newspapers such as the Daily Herald and the conservative online publication the Illinois Leader suggested that Leys would be a candidate in the 2006 Republican primary for the state Senate seat. The Des Plaines Journal & Topics local newspaper had reported on September 14, 2005 that Leys formed an exploratory committee to investigate a potential candidacy for the Illinois State Senate.[25]
It was widely reported in October 2005 that Leys had agreed to withdraw his candidacy for Illinois State Senate for the March 2006 Republican Primary in order to support newly appointed Senator Cheryl Axley.[26] In the November 2006 General Election, appointed Senator Cheryl Axley was defeated by Democrat Dan Kotowski.[27] In 2006 and 2007, while President of the District 207 Board of Education, Leys invited (during their respective terms) both Axley and Kotowski to board meetings where addressed the board on active legislative matters.
Leys considered challenging Kotowski in the November 2008 election cycle,[28] but instead Republican Mike Sweeney opposed Kotowski and was defeated.
Personal life[edit]
Leys, who was raised in Des Plaines, Illinois, owns a home in the Moehling Farm subdivision of Des Plaines.[29] Leys is unmarried and has no children.
Electoral history[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-partisan | Margaret C. McGrath | 12,817 | 22.23 | |
| Non-partisan | Eldon E. Burk | 9,203 | 15.96 | |
| Non-partisan | Marijo G. Bustos √ | 7,127 | 12.36 | |
| Non-partisan | Edward B. Mueller √ | 11,158 | 19.36 | |
| Non-partisan | Jerry T. Kellogg | 8,474 | 14.70 | |
| Non-partisan | Eric Scott Leys √ | 8,870 | 15.39 | |
| Total votes | 57,649 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Eric Scott Leys (Romney) | 25,839 | 20.15 | |
| Republican | Sidney H. Mathias (Romney) | 25,194 | 19.65 | |
| Republican | Sanford E. Perl (Romney) | 23,660 | 18.45 | |
| Republican | Doug Kiscellus (Paul) | 3,471 | 2.71 | |
| Republican | Michael Nash (Paul) | 4,144 | 3.23 | |
| Republican | John Chiakulas (Paul) | 3,446 | 2.69 | |
| Republican | John Anderson (Gingrich) | 3,525 | 2.75 | |
| Republican | Peter Amarantos (Gingrich) | 2,805 | 2.19 | |
| Republican | Hilary F. Till (Gingrich) | 2,913 | 2.27 | |
| Republican | Michele Raymond (Santorum) | 11,044 | 8.61 | |
| Republican | Jim Quirke (Santorum) | 11,014 | 8.59 | |
| Republican | Rachael McCarthy (Santorum) | 11,186 | 8.72 | |
| Total votes | 128,241 | 100 | ||
External links[edit]
- Maine207.org
- 'Meet the Board', Maine207.org
- EricLeys.com - About Eric
- 'Modernizing Teacher Pay in Maine 207' by Eric Leys
- @EricScottLeys on Twitter
- Candidate Profile, Daily Herald, for 2013 Election
References[edit]
- ↑ EricLeys.com – About Eric; accessed 14 May 2011
- ↑ High Beam Research archive of 8 April 2001 Daily Herald article “School memories are fresh for new board member”; accessed 14 May 2011
- ↑ Board Asked To Drop Id Badges (Chicago Tribune) 4 February 1998; accessed 14 May 2011
- ↑ High Beam Research archive of 9 April 1998 Park Ridge Herald-Advocate article “Student lobbies to end badges”; accessed 14 May 2011
- ↑ Acura of Libertyville – Meet the Staff; accessed 14 May 2011
- ↑ "Maine High School Trustee Heading To Tampa For GOP Convention". Journal & Topics Newspapers. August 24, 2012. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ↑ Results of 2009 School Board elections; accessed 13 November 2009
- ↑ Modernizing Teacher Pay in Maine 207 by Eric Scott Leys (Eric Leys' Facebook page); accessed 13 November 2009
- ↑ District 207 Teachers Endorse (MTA Website); accessed 13 November 2009
- ↑ School Board Canvassing (MTA Website); accessed 13 November 2009
- ↑ Maine Teachers Association PACE Semi-Annual report dated 9 June 2009 (Illinois State Board of Elections); accessed 13 November 2009
- ↑ Elect Mueller, Leys, Bustos, Burk/McGrath In Dist. 207 (Journal and Topics Newspapers); accessed 13 November 2009
- ↑ Endorsements: Mueller, Bustos, Leys, Burk for District 207 (Park Ridge Herald-Advocate); accessed 13 November 2009
- ↑ Bustos, Leys, Mueller, Burk for Maine Township 207 schools (Daily Herald); accessed 13 November 2009
- ↑ Public Officials Support Eric Leys for re-election; accessed 13 November 2009
- ↑ "Mayoral, Possible Des Plaines Aldermanic Hopefuls Obtain Election Materials". Journal & Topics Newspapers. November 4, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
- ↑ "Mayoral candidates step up to file across the Northwest suburbs". Daily Herald. December 17, 2012. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ↑ "Leys, Childers set to run for District 207 School Board" (PDF). ericleys.com. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ↑ "Leys Drops out 7th Ward Race; Seeks Re-Election to D-207". Des Plaines Patch. January 2, 2013. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ↑ "Leys seeking two-year term in District 207". Post-Tribune, a Sun-Times Publication. January 7, 2013. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ↑ "Election Results". Daily Herald. April 10, 2013. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ↑ "Dist. 207 board member appointed to state education board". Daily Herald. January 21, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ↑ "D207 Board Member Named to IASB Board of Directors". maine207.org. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ↑ GOP faces fight for Senate seats (Chicago Tribune); accessed 20 Feb 2013
- ↑ “Leys Expresses Interest in State Senate Run” (Journal and Topics Newspapers); accessed 20 Feb 2013
- ↑ Forget the Analysis; Here's the Latest Gossip (Russ Stewart); accessed 10 May 2011
- ↑ Dan Kotowski sweeps to victory in 33rd Senate (Park Ridge Herald-Advocate); accessed 10 May 2011
- ↑ “Slaughter Rule won’t save Republicans in 2008” (Russ Stewart Political Analysis); accessed 20 Feb 2013
- ↑ BlockShopper Chicago; accessed 14 May 2011
- ↑ "Suburban Cook County Election Results". Cook County Clerk's Office. 7 April 2009. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
- ↑ "Ballots Cast 2012". Illinois State Board of Elections. 20 March 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
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