Rita Ali | |
---|---|
47th Mayor of Peoria | |
Assumed office May 4, 2021 | |
Preceded by | Jim Ardis |
Personal details | |
Born | January 31,1958 |
Political party | Democratic |
Residence(s) | Peoria,Illinois,U.S. |
Alma mater | University of Illinois Springfield Bradley University Capella University |
Rita Ali (born January 31,1958) is an American politician serving as the 47th mayor of Peoria,Illinois since 2021. [1] She was elected on April 21,2021,finishing just 43 votes ahead of her opponent,councilman Jim Montelongo. [2] Ali was sworn in two weeks later on May 4,becoming both the first woman and the first African American to serve as mayor of Peoria. [3] [4] She has previously served on the Peoria City Council and has held a position as Vice President of Workforce and Diversity at Illinois Central College. [1]
Ali is the daughter of Robert and Nora Bryant. She has an older sister,Robin,and younger brother,Robert. [5] She spent her early years in Hannibal,Missouri,and subsequently relocated with her family to Peoria,Illinois during 1964,when she was six years old. [6] [7]
Ali was a 1976 graduate of Manual High School. A single parent following her graduation,she began her college education at Bradley University with the help of a full-tuition scholarship (the Romeo B. Garrett Scholarship),and attended classes there for two years until financial circumstances forced her to temporarily leave school to work full time. Thirty years later,she was a doctoral candidate in organization and management at Capella University in Minneapolis,Minnesota in 2006,having previously earned her bachelor's degree in human services management from the University of Illinois Springfield and her master's degree in education administration from Bradley University. [5]
As Rita Bryant,she met her future husband,Bashir Ali,while they were both employed by the City of Peoria's Central Illinois Private Industry Council. She and Ali were married on May 6,1996,and have four daughters and nine grandchildren. [5] Bashir Ali has been the director of workforce development for the City of Peoria since 1987. [8]
Rita Ali secured her first job at the age of fourteen. She was employed as a community outreach worker by the Dar es Salaam (House of Peace) Center on Peoria's South Side,and was also later a community organizer for the Northside Action Council. Later in her professional life,as the manager of the federal division of an information technology company,Rita Ali worked in Washington,DC for two years,but decided to return to Peoria to be closer to family. Hired as the director of Multicultural Student Services at Bradley University,she was subsequently appointed as the director of diversity at Illinois Central College in 2004. [5]
Still employed at Illinois Central College in 2019,Rita Ali held the title of vice president of workforce,diversity and career development. She had also been elected to the Peoria City Council. [9]
Ali was an at-large member of the Peoria City Council at the time she announced her run for mayor in 2020. [7] She was successful,and made history,becoming the first woman and first African American to become mayor of Peoria. [2]
Elmwood is a city in Peoria County,Illinois,United States. The population was 2,097 at the 2010 census. Elmwood is part of the Peoria,Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Peoria is a city in and county seat of Peoria County,Illinois,United States. Located on the Illinois River,the city had a population of 113,150 as of the 2020 census,making it the eighth-most populous city in Illinois. It is the principal city of the Peoria metropolitan area in Central Illinois,consisting of the counties of Fulton,Marshall,Peoria,Stark,Tazewell,and Woodford which had a population of 402,391 in 2020.
Bradley University is a private university in Peoria,Illinois,United States. Founded in 1897,Bradley University enrolls 5,400 students who are pursuing degrees in more than 100 undergraduate programs and more than 30 graduate programs in five colleges. The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and 22 specialized and professional accreditors.
Spirit of Peoria is a riverboat that ran in the Peoria,Illinois area from 1988 to 2022. The boat participated in the 2004 Grand Excursion. Spirit of Peoria is a true paddleboat,actually using its paddlewheel for propulsion,unlike some modern riverboats with purely cosmetic wheels.
Lydia Moss Bradley was a wealthy bank president and philanthropist notable for her philanthropic works. She founded Bradley Polytechnic Institute in Peoria,Illinois,in 1897.
WTVP is a PBS member television station in Peoria,Illinois,United States,owned by the Illinois Valley Public Telecommunications Corporation. The station's studios are located on State Street in downtown Peoria,and its transmitter is located along Interstate 474 in East Peoria.
East Peoria Community High School is a four-year public high school located in East Peoria,Illinois,and is the only school of East Peoria Community High School District 309. As of 2024,the school has 829 students enrolled. East Peoria Community High School has several feeder schools:Central Junior High School,Parkview Middle School,and Robein Elementary School.
WCBU is a listener-supported,non-commercial public radio station owned by Bradley University in Peoria,Illinois. The station is a National Public Radio affiliate and is located on Bradley's campus.
The history of Peoria,Illinois began when French explorers constructed Fort Crevecoeur in 1680. The County of Peoria was organized in 1825,the town in 1835,and Peoria was incorporated as a city in 1845. During the Industrial Revolution,coal mining,steamboat,and railroad businesses flourished in Peoria. Until Prohibition took effect in 1920,Peoria was known as the “Whiskey Capital of the World”and produced more rye whiskey than anywhere else in the world at the time. The "whiskey barons" contributed to the infrastructure of Peoria,building mansions,parks,churches,schools,and other historic buildings. Manufacturing has been a key industry in Peoria for over 150 years,including bicycles,automobiles,Caterpillar machines,washing machines,and barbed wire. During World War II,Peoria's USDA lab made strides in the commercial production of penicillin. Today Peoria is a mid-sized city supported by industries such manufacturing and healthcare,as well as small businesses and a growing arts and culture scene.
The Peoria Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Peoria,Illinois conducted by George Stelluto. It is the fourteenth oldest orchestra in the United States.
Joan Gore Krupa is an American politician,educator,and health center executive,who was a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives,representing the 92nd Representative District for 9 days in early 2009,after her predecessor,Aaron Schock,was sworn in as U.S. Congressman for Illinois's 18th congressional district.
Jim Ardis is an American corporate executive and politician who served as mayor of Peoria,Illinois from 2005 to 2021. Prior to becoming mayor,he had previously served on the Peoria City Council from 1999 through 2005. Ardis is the second-longest serving mayor in city history behind Edward Nelson Woodruff.
The Scottish Rite Cathedral,now named the Scottish Rite Theatre,is church-style building in Peoria,Illinois that houses the Scottish Rite Bodies of the Valley of Peoria. The building is at 400 NE Perry Avenue,at the corner with Spalding Avenue. The cathedral is listed as a contributing property to Peoria's North Side Historic District.
Chuck Weaver is a former Republican member of the Illinois Senate for the 37th Senate District. He was appointed in October 2015. The district he represented included all or parts of Mercer,Lee,Bureau,Henry,Knox,Stark,Peoria,Woodford and Marshall counties in Central Illinois.
Ryan Spain is a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives,representing the 73rd district which includes parts of Bureau,Marshall,Peoria,Rock Island,Stark and Whiteside counties in west central Illinois.
Winston John "Win" Stoller is a Republican member of the Illinois Senate from the 37th district. The 37th district,located in North and Central Illinois,includes all or parts of Lee,Bureau,Henry,DeKalb,Ogle,Rock Island,Whiteside,Stark,Peoria,Woodford and Marshall counties.
The E.D. Edwards Power Plant is an inoperative coal-fired generating plant owned by Vistra Energy. The plant,with a nameplate capacity of 780 megawatts,was connected with the high-tension power supply lines of Central Illinois. It is located on the Illinois River and the Union Pacific Railroad,adjacent to the municipality of Bartonville.
Mark A. Luft is an American politician who served as the mayor of Pekin,Illinois and as a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 91st district. The 91st district,located in the Peoria metropolitan area,included all or parts of Banner,Bartonville,Bryant,Canton,Creve Coeur,Cuba,Dunfermline,East Peoria,Fairview,Farmington,Glasford,Hanna City,Kingston Mines,Lake Camelot,Lewistown,Liverpool,Mapleton,Marquette Heights,Morton,Norris,North Pekin,Norwood,Pekin,South Pekin,and St. David.
Laura Bradley Park,also known as Bradley Park,is a park in Peoria,Illinois,United States. It historically contained a wading pool for children and flower gardens. As of 2022,it offers sports facilities,picnic sites,hiking opportunities on paved tracks,and a Japanese bridge.
The 2024 elections for the Illinois Senate will occur on Tuesday,November 5,2024. The general primary election for established political parties will occur March 19,2024.
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