Ronald Gidwitz

Last updated

Ronald Gidwitz
EUAmbGidwitz.jpg
Acting United States Ambassador to the European Union
In office
May 4, 2020 –January 20, 2021
Education Brown University (BA)

Ronald J. Gidwitz (born March 28, 1945) is an American businessman, diplomat, and political candidate who served as United States Ambassador to Belgium, while also serving as acting United States Ambassador to the European Union. [4] [5]

Contents

Gidwitz is the son of prominent Chicago businessman Gerald Gidwitz. Gidwtiz served as president and CEO of Helene Curtis Industries, which was sold to Unilever in 1996. In 1998, Gidwitz co-founded the private equity firm GCG Partners, in which he served as a partner.

In terms of public-sector and political activities, in addition to serving as ambassador, Gidwitz held the positions of chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education from 1999 through 2003 and chairman of the Board of City Colleges of Chicago from 1991 through 1999. He ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for governor of Illinois in 2006. He served as the Illinois state chair for Rudy Giuliani's 2008 presidential campaign, the Illinois state finance chair for Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, and chaired both Kirk Dillard's unsuccessful 2010 Illinois gubernatorial campaign and Bruce Rauner's successful 2014 Illinois gubernatorial campaign. Gidwitz has also been involved with political advocacy organizations.

In addition to his private sector and political work, Gidwitz had been involved in philanthropic and nonprofit activities.

Education

Gidwitz earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Brown University.

Business career

Gidwitz served as president and CEO of Helene Curtis Industries, which was sold to Unilever in 1996. [6] He served as its CEO from 1979 through 1998. [7] Since 1998, he has been a co-founder and partner at the private equity firm, GCG Partners, and serves as a regional chairman for Business Executives for National Security in Chicago. [8]

For many years, a company controlled by Gidwitz and his cousin Ralph owned the Evergreen Terrace housing project in Joliet, Illinois, a 356-unit complex of high-rise apartments where 90% of tenants were families with young African-American single mothers. Their management of the complex attracted strong criticism, including from then-Senator Barack Obama. There were descriptions made of “inhumane conditions” and an overwhelming stench of urine in the complex. The mayor of Joliet described the complex as “unsafe and dangerous, a public nuisance and a blighted area”. A judge declared that the standards were “deplorable”. Gidwitz, in court, blamed the City of Joliet, claiming that they had repeatedly blocked attempts to secure federal financing for improvements. [9] He especially noted his frustration in being turned down by the city in his effort to improve security—one of the main issues the same city had questioned. [10]

Political career

City of Chicago positions

Mayor Harold Washington appointed Gidwitz the Chairman of the Chicago Economic Development Commission. [11] Gidwitz was appointed chairman of the Board of City Colleges of Chicago by mayor Richard M. Daley in 1991. [12] He was confirmed by the Chicago City Council on October 2, 1991. [13] He replaced previous CCC chairman Reynaldo Glover. [14] His appointment was seen as an effort by Daley to involve the business community in the city's education reform. [15] His tenure ended when he resigned on April 14, 1999, amid a power struggle with the new chancellor Wayne Watson. [16] Gidwitz's tenure was highly criticized by faculty in the system. [12] Between 1991 and 1995, the system lost $50 million in high-risk investments. [12]

Chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education

Gidwitz was appointed a member of the Illinois State Board of Education in 1999. [17] Gidwitz soon became chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education in April 1999, having been nominated by Governor George Ryan. [16] [18]

In 1999, early into his tenure as chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education, Gidwitz made comments about the state's mathematics score on standardized testing, which accused the state's public school teachers of being inadequately trained on providing instruction on the subject. Superintendents of many school districts took issue to his remarks, with Paul Vallas (the CEO of Chicago Public Schools) remarking on Gidwitz, "he's not a supporter of public education, and he has a low opinion of teachers and schools in general." [19]

Having again been nominated by Governor George Ryan, Gidwitz was reconfirmed by the Illinois Senate on November 14, 2001, to continue to serve as chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education. [20] His term expired on April 18, 2003. [20] [21] He continued to serve as a member of the board until the following year. [17]

2006 gubernatorial campaign

Gidwitz was a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor of Illinois in the 2006 election. [22] He came in fourth place, having been defeated by Judy Baar Topinka. [23] Rod Blagojevich would go on to win the general election. Gidwitz spent $5 million of his own funds on the campaign. [24]

Ambassadorship

In May 2018, he was nominated to become the Trump administration's Ambassador to Belgium. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 28, 2018. [25] He presented his credentials to King Philippe on July 4, 2018. [4]

Other political work

In February 2003, Gidwitz founded the advocacy group Students First Illinois. [26]

In 2008, Gidwitz and Greg Baise formed the Economic Freedom Alliance, a 527 organization, to oppose the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. [27]

Gidwitz was the Illinois co-chair of Rudy Giuliani's 2008 presidential campaign. [26] Gidwitz served as Donald Trump's Illinois campaign finance chairman in the 2016 presidential election. [28]

Gidwitz served as campaign chairman and finance chair of Kirk Dillard's unsuccessful 2010 Illinois gubernatorial campaign. [29] [30] Gidwitz served as campaign co-chair and finance chair for Bruce Rauner's successful 2014 bid for Illinois governor. [28] [31]

In the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries, Gidwitz endorsed former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. [32]

Nonprofit work

During his business career, Gidwitz devoted a portion of his time to philanthropic activities. He was Chair of the Field Museum of Natural History Board of Trustees, and the Economic Development Commission of Chicago. Gidwitz also served on the boards of the Council for Aid to Education, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, National Board of the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Science and Industry, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and the founding Chair of the Chicago Chapter of Business Executives for National Security. In 2006, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America bestowed him with the Herbert Hoover Humanitarian Award for his ‘extraordinary service to the organization and the nation's youth.’ In 2014, the Chicago History Museum gave him the Bertha Honoré Palmer Making History Award for Distinction in Civic Leadership. [33] His leadership in promoting better educational opportunities resulted in Gidwitz receiving the National Association of State Boards of Education's Distinguished Service Award in 2003. [34]

Since 2013, Gidwitz has served as Chairman emeritus of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. [8]

Personal life

Gidwitz is the son of prominent Chicago businessman, Gerald Gidwitz. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Christina Gidwitz ( née  Kemper), and two sons. His wife Christina's father was the late James S. Kemper. [35]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher G. Kennedy</span> American businessman (born 1963)

Christopher George Kennedy is an American businessman who is the chair of Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises, Inc. A member of the prominent Kennedy family, he is a son of former United States Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy, and a nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy and former U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy. From 2000 until 2012, he was also president of Merchandise Mart Properties, a commercial property management firm based in Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Illinois gubernatorial election</span>

The 2006 Illinois gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich won re-election to a second four-year term scheduled to have ended on January 10, 2011. However, Blagojevich did not complete his term, as he was impeached and removed from office in 2009. This was the first election since 1964 that a Democrat was re-elected governor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Vallas</span> American politician and school administrator (born 1953)

Paul Gust Vallas Sr. is an American politician and former education superintendent. He served as the superintendent of the Bridgeport Public Schools in Connecticut and the Recovery School District of Louisiana, the CEO of both the School District of Philadelphia and the Chicago Public Schools, and a budget director for the city of Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Brady (politician)</span> American politician

William E. Brady is an American politician who was a Republican member of the Illinois Senate from May 2002 until his resignation in December 2020.

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) administers public education in the state of Illinois. The State Board consists of nine members who are appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Senate. Board members serve four-year terms, with State Board membership limited to two consecutive terms. The board sets educational policies and guidelines for public and private schools, preschool through grade 12. It analyzes the aims, needs and requirements of education and recommends legislation to the Illinois General Assembly and Governor for the benefit of the more than 2 million school children in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwame Raoul</span> American politician

Kwame Raoul is an American lawyer and politician who has been the 42nd Attorney General of Illinois since 2019. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illinois Republican Party</span> Illinois affiliate of the Republican Party

The Illinois Republican Party is the affiliate of the Republican Party in the U.S. state of Illinois founded on May 29, 1856. It is run by the Illinois Republican State Central Committee, which consists of 17 members, one representing each of the state's congressional districts. Once the dominant party in Illinois, the state GOP has become a minority party within the last few decades, holding little power in the state. The current chairman is Kathy Salvi, who has served since 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirk Dillard</span> American politician

Kirk W. Dillard is an American politician and the current Chairman of the Regional Transportation Authority Board of Directors. Previously, he served as a Republican member of the Illinois State Senate, representing the 24th District from 1993 until his resignation in August 2014.

Daniel K. Proft is an American political commentator and activist. A member of the Republican Party, he is a talk radio host for Chicago radio station WIND and was a candidate for Governor of Illinois in 2010. He voices a political commentary, "Sixty Seconds of Sanity" on the Salem Radio Network. He is also the president of Local Government Information Systems, an entity controlling sites like Kendall County Times and Will County Gazette.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronald Weiser</span> American businessman, philanthropist, and diplomat (born 1945)

Ronald N. Weiser is an American businessman and Republican Party donor and financier. Weiser founded a real estate company. He held fundraising roles for the presidential campaigns of George W. Bush and John McCain. He was chairman of the Michigan Republican Party from 2009–2011, 2017–2019, and 2021–2023. He was U.S. ambassador to Slovakia during Bush's first term (2001–2004), and was elected to the Board of Regents of the University of Michigan in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lewis Eisenberg</span> American financier, investor & diplomat (born 1942)

Lewis Michael Eisenberg is an American financier and investor who was the United States Ambassador to Italy and the United States Ambassador to San Marino. He is known for co-founding and heading private equity firm Granite Capital International Group L.P. He has a multi-decade history in American political fundraising circles and has held a number of national, state, and bi-state appointments throughout his career, including serving as the chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey at the time of the September 11, 2001 attack of the World Trade Center, which the Port Authority operated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Illinois gubernatorial election</span>

The 2014 Illinois gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of Illinois, concurrently with the election to Illinois's Class II U.S. Senate seat, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Rauner</span> Governor of Illinois from 2015 to 2019

Bruce Vincent Rauner is an American businessman, philanthropist, and politician who served as the 42nd governor of Illinois from 2015 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was the chairman of R8 Capital Partners and chairman of the Chicago-based private equity firm GTCR.

Ronald "Ron" Sandack was a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 81st district from 2013 to 2016. Prior to his appointment Sandack was the Mayor of Downers Grove, Illinois, where he served from 2007 to 2011.

Leslie Geissler Munger is an American politician and business executive who served as the Illinois Comptroller in 2015 and 2016. She was appointed by incoming Governor Bruce Rauner to fill the vacancy caused by the death of re-elected Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Illinois gubernatorial election</span>

The 2018 Illinois gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the governor of Illinois, concurrently with the 2018 Illinois general election and other midterm elections. Incumbent Republican governor Bruce Rauner ran for re-election to a second term in office, but was defeated by Democratic nominee J. B. Pritzker. This was one of eight Republican-held governorships up for election in a state that Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juliana Stratton</span> American politician (born 1965)

Juliana Stratton is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 48th lieutenant governor of Illinois since 2019. She previously served as a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 2017 to 2019. She is the first African-American woman to become Illinois' lieutenant governor, and the state's fourth woman lieutenant governor overall, after Corinne Wood, Sheila Simon, and Evelyn Sanguinetti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Illinois gubernatorial election</span>

The 2022 Illinois gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Illinois, concurrently with the 2022 Illinois general election. Gubernatorial candidates ran on tickets with candidates for lieutenant governor. The incumbent governor and lieutenant governor, first-term Democrats J. B. Pritzker and Juliana Stratton, sought re-election together against Republican nominees Illinois State Senator Darren Bailey and his running mate Stephanie Trussell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse Ruiz (politician)</span> American lawyer

Jesse H. Ruiz is an American politician, lawyer, and businessman. He has previously held the positions of deputy governor of Illinois for education, chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education, president of the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners, vice president of the Chicago Board of Education, and interim CEO of Chicago Public Schools. He currently works in the private sector as chief compliance officer and general counsel to the Vistria Group. He also currently serves as a member of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean M. Morrison</span> American politician

Sean M. Morrison is an American politician currently serving as Cook County commissioner from the 17th district and the chair of the Cook County Republican Party.

References

  1. ↑ O'Connor, John (April 16, 1999). "Governor appoints members of state education board" . Newspapers.com. Daily Republican-Register (Mount Carmel, Illinois). The Associated Press. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  2. ↑ "IASB School Board News Bulletin: May, 2003". archives.iasb.com. Illinois Association of School Boards. May 2003. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  3. ↑ "EAST ST. LOUIS BOARD OF EDUCATION AND ISBE JOIN TOGETHER". Illinois State Board of Education. June 9, 2004. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  4. 1 2 U.S. Embassy in Belgium. "U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium Ronald J. Gidwitz". Archived from the original on June 11, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  5. ↑ Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State, Designation of Ambassador Ronald J. Gidwitz as Acting Representative of the United States to the European Union, press statement of the U.S. Department of State, May 4, 2020.
  6. ↑ Chicago Tribune. "Trump nominates his Illinois campaign finance chair as ambassador to Belgium" . Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  7. ↑ Timothy J., Gilfoyle (Winter 2018). "Chicago's Global Entrepreneurs: Making History Interviews with John Canning and Ronald Gidwitz". Loyola University Chicago. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  8. 1 2 Bloomberg. "Ronald "Ron" Gidwitz". Bloomberg News . Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  9. ↑ Boffey, Daniel; Swaine, Jon (May 22, 2018). "Trump backer who owned 'inhumane' housing picked to be Belgium envoy". The Guardian. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  10. ↑ Gidwitz, Ron (May 2, 2017). "Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune.
  11. ↑ Kozubowski, Walter (City Clerk) (March 25, 1986). "Regular Meeting: Tuesday, March 25, 1986" (PDF). Chicago City Council Journal of Proceedings. p. 28671. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 Joravsky, Ben (July 27, 1995). "Grading Gidwitz: City Colleges faculty gives him an F". Chicago Reader. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Appointment of Mr. Ronald J. Gidwitz as a Member of the Board of Trustees of Community College District No. 508" (PDF). Journal of Proceedings: 6052. October 2, 1991. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  14. ↑ Hill, James (September 11, 1991). "City Colleges board chief Glover steps down". Chicago Tribune . p. NA3 – via ProQuest.
  15. ↑ Washburn, Gary; Martinez, Michael (April 15, 1999). "Gidwitz quits City Colleges Board" . Newspapers.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  16. 1 2 Washburn, Gary; Martinez, Michael (April 15, 1999). "GIDWITZ QUITS CITY COLLEGES BOARD". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  17. 1 2 Cates, Kristen (January 25, 2005). "RON GIDWITZ ANNOUNCES PLANS TO RUN FOR GOVERNOR". The Southern. Retrieved June 4, 2020.[ permanent dead link ]
  18. ↑ "STATEMENT OF ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION CHAIRMAN RONALD J. GIDWITZ". Illinois State Board of Education. April 18, 2003. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  19. ↑ Hetzner, Amy (October 14, 1999). "Controversial State Board chairman not afraid to step on toes" . Newspapers.com. Southtown Star (Tinley Park, Illinois). Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  20. 1 2 "STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT" (PDF). Illinois General Assembly. November 14, 2001. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  21. ↑ Gidwitz, Ronald J. "STATEMENT OF ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION CHAIRMAN RONALD J. GIDWITZ". Illinois State Board of Education. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  22. ↑ OurCampaigns.com. "Gidwitz, Ronald" . Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  23. ↑ Illinois State Board of Election. "Election Results" . Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  24. ↑ Chicago Sun Times. "Trump nominates Chicago businessman Ron Gidwitz as ambassador to Belgium" . Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  25. ↑ U.S. Congress. "PN2027 — Ronald Gidwitz — Department of State" . Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  26. 1 2 "Rudy Giuliani-Illinois Organization". p2008.org. December 27, 2007. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  27. ↑ "Greg Baise - City Club of Chicago". www.cityclub-chicago.org. City Club of Chicago. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  28. 1 2 Muck, Jordan (July 2, 2018). "Super PAC tied to Trump's Illinois Campaign Finance Chair Jumps into Race for Governor". WGN-TV. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  29. ↑ "Gidwitz picks Rauner over Dillard for 2014". Illinois Review. July 17, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Illinois Gubernatorial Odds: State Fair Edition". NBC Chicago. August 15, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  31. ↑ "Millionaires for Bruce Rauner". NBC Chicago. July 18, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  32. ↑ Kapos, Shia (July 21, 2023). "GOP stalwart Ron Gidwitz backs Chris Christie". Politico . Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  33. ↑ Gidwitz, Ron (January 20, 2018). "Loyola University eCommons Chicago Global Entrepreneurs". Loyola University eCommons.
  34. ↑ Gidwitz, Ron (October 17, 2003). "Distinguished Service Award for Ron Gidwitz". Illinois State Board of Education.
  35. ↑ Spirou, Costas; Judd, Dennis R. (2016). Building the City of Spectacle: Mayor Richard M. Daley and the Remaking of Chicago. Cornell University Press. p. 128. ISBN   978-1-5017-0683-7 . Retrieved June 5, 2020.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Ronald J. Gidwitz at Wikimedia Commons

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Belgium
2018–2021		Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Ambassador to the European Union
Acting
2020–2021		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.