Ronen, Carol.

Born March 28, 1945 in Chicago. She is an alumna of New Trier Township High School, Bradley University, and Roosevelt University. She served as an Illinois State Representative in the 17th District from 1993 to 2000, prior to which she served as Executive Director of the Chicago Commission on Women. Carol was appointed to the Illinois State Senate for District 7 in 2000. In 2006, she won reelection by defeating Republican Frank Thomas. In October 2007, she announced that she would be resigning as District 7 State Senator and did not complete her term. She officially stepped down on February 10, 2008, and was succeeded in office by Heather Stearns. Carol was highly recognized as a progressive politician who championed the causes of early childhood education, health care, violence prevention, and human rights. She was the lead sponsor of the Illinois Human Rights Act, which protects Illinois residents from discrimination based on sexual orientation. She was also a strong supporter of the Equal Pay Act, which increased the number of women covered by equal pay protections, and was a driving force behind increasing the Illinois minimum wage. Carol received numerous awards during her tenure of public service. Carol is a strong voice in Chicago's Jewish community, and sits on the Government Affairs Committee of the Jewish Federation of Chicago. She is also a member of the Chicago chapter of Hadassah.