Locke Lord Partner, RTA Chairman Kirk Dillard to Receive North American APTA Award

Locke Lord Partner Kirk Dillard, who chairs the Regional Transportation Authority of Northeastern Illinois, has been chosen to receive a 2017 Local Distinguished Service Award by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), an international association of 1,500 public and private sector organizations, engaged in the areas of bus, paratransit, light rail, commuter rail, subways, waterborne services, and intercity and high-speed passenger rail. Dillard will accept the award, which recognizes excellence in the public transportation industry in North America, at the APTA annual meeting on Oct. 10 in Atlanta.

Starting in 1994, Dillard served with distinction in the Illinois Senate, representing Chicagoland's western suburbs. He held a number of key leadership positions while in the Senate — including chairman of the Judiciary and Local Government committees — before stepping down in 2014 to assume the RTA chairmanship. Among his honors, Dillard was named to “Who’s Who in Chicago Business” by Crain’s Chicago Business and named an "Illinois Super Lawyer" and to the "Leading Lawyers Network" by his peers. Dillard also was former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar’s chief of staff and a judge on the Illinois Court of Claims.