Karen Hasara
| Karen Hasara | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Springfield, Illinois | |
|
In office April 1995 – April 2003 |
|
| Preceded by | Ossie Langfelder |
| Succeeded by | Timothy Davlin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 1, 1940 Chicago, Illinois |
| Political party | Republican |
| Residence | Springfield, Illinois |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois |
Karen Hasara is a Republican member of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees and a past member of the Illinois General Assembly (1986-1995) as well as the Mayor of Springfield, Illinois for two terms from 1995-2003.
After graduating from the University of Illinois at Springfield with a bachelor's degree in psychology and elementary education, Hasara was a teacher at Christ The King Elementary School for two years before she began her government career by being elected to the Sangamon County Board in 1975. While on the Sangamon County Board she became a broker manager and salesperson at K & L Real Estate and Director of the National Academy of Real Estate. In 1980, she was elected Sangamon County Circuit Clerk, the administrative arm of the Sangamon County court system where she succeeded Edward W. Ryan. After six years, she was succeeded as Circuit Clerk by Candice Trees.
In 1986, Hasara was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives, where she served the 100th District. While serving in the Illinois House of Representatives, Hasara earned an M.A. in legal studies. In 1992, she was elected to the Illinois Senate to represent the newly drawn 50th district which included Sangamon and Menard counties as well as the eastern half of Cass County.
In 1995, Hasara won a highly contested election, to become the first female mayor of Springfield, Illinois. She was re-elected in 1999, and served until her term ended in 2003. As mayor, she made two trips to Ukraine, and Springfield became one of the partners of the U.S. Ukraine Foundation. Mayor Hasara was also greatly involved in Sister Cities International, and under her leadership, Springfield gained two additional sister cities (in Mexico and Ireland).
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