2026 Botterman Program
2026 Honorees
Mark Michaels
2026 Patrick S. Botterman Leadership Award
2026 Patrick S. Botterman Leadership Award
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Mark was born in New York City and grew up in Philadelphia. His father pioneered the field of Solid Waste Management, first climbing to become Commissioner of Streets and then as an international consultant, including under the auspices of the World Health Organization. Mark’s mother worked in early childhood education and social work. His sister had a career in business and affordable housing development consulting, and his brother pioneered ethnographic studies before succumbing to AIDs. Mark’s family was politically active, with Mark’s first demonstration fighting to ban the bomb when he was 11.
In high school and then college at Penn State University, Hebrew University, and Temple University, Mark was politically active in civil rights and anti-war activities, while eventually earning a Masters in Public Administration. Mark’s first political campaign was speaking to senior groups in support of George McGovern. |
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Mark worked the next 8 years in municipal government, when he realized he was negotiating on the wrong side of the table. He then spent 20 years as an independent organization development consultant where he organized The Chaos Network, an international group of consultants, scientists, and academics developing a new theory of organizations based on the science of chaos and complex systems. His work led to writing and speaking engagements around the U.S. and Canada, and authoring the book, “The Quest for Fitness.”
Mark’s consulting gave him recognition but not much money. When he was offered a position at the Illinois Education Association, he jumped on it. It was at the IEA where he learned how to run political campaigns, and where he managed campaigns for local school boards and school referendums. The IEA brought him to Chicago, and he and his new wife, Robin, to Arlington Heights in 2004.
Mark’s first assignment at IEA was representing school district locals in Wheeling and surrounding townships. This was his introduction to the local political scene. However, during his 15-years with IEA, he also had long term assignments in Rockford and Effingham.
Shortly after Mark retired in 2015, he was introduced to Ann Gillespie while she was leading a campaign against the village’s plans to opt out of the county’s new minimum wage and sick leave ordinance. While that failed, in 2017, during her candidate announcement, Ann surprised Mark, asking him to chair her campaign committee. Though Mark responded that he would chair but not manage the campaign, he ended up successfully managing the primary campaign, and Ann went on to flip the senatorial district for the first time in history.
The Candidates’ Coach Academy was an outgrowth of Ann’s campaign. Mark had run for local office some years prior, not knowing what he was doing, and lost. Wanting the Party to build on Ann’s success, Mark volunteered his skills to help local candidates get elected. Since 2019,Mark has spearheaded the startup of 4 legislative campaigns while training and coaching about 50 candidates for local municipal offices, with a success rate of about 90%. The Candidates’ Coach Academy is currently recruiting for the 2027 municipal elections. Growing “long in the tooth,” Mark created a succession plan with Mary Kay Baldino and Joyce Slavik to assure that the Party can provide continuing successful support into the future.
In addition to Mark’s political activity, he plays trombone with the Arlington Jazz Exchange, a community jazz band, and conducts mixology classes at Bitter & Sweet Cocktail Boutique, which is conveniently located in the retail section of his building.
Through 55 working years, Mark has lived by four basic tenets:
“All is chaos, pure and simple;”
“Good is good enough;”
“Diversity uber alles"; and,
“Maxwell Smart worked for the wrong side."
Mark’s consulting gave him recognition but not much money. When he was offered a position at the Illinois Education Association, he jumped on it. It was at the IEA where he learned how to run political campaigns, and where he managed campaigns for local school boards and school referendums. The IEA brought him to Chicago, and he and his new wife, Robin, to Arlington Heights in 2004.
Mark’s first assignment at IEA was representing school district locals in Wheeling and surrounding townships. This was his introduction to the local political scene. However, during his 15-years with IEA, he also had long term assignments in Rockford and Effingham.
Shortly after Mark retired in 2015, he was introduced to Ann Gillespie while she was leading a campaign against the village’s plans to opt out of the county’s new minimum wage and sick leave ordinance. While that failed, in 2017, during her candidate announcement, Ann surprised Mark, asking him to chair her campaign committee. Though Mark responded that he would chair but not manage the campaign, he ended up successfully managing the primary campaign, and Ann went on to flip the senatorial district for the first time in history.
The Candidates’ Coach Academy was an outgrowth of Ann’s campaign. Mark had run for local office some years prior, not knowing what he was doing, and lost. Wanting the Party to build on Ann’s success, Mark volunteered his skills to help local candidates get elected. Since 2019,Mark has spearheaded the startup of 4 legislative campaigns while training and coaching about 50 candidates for local municipal offices, with a success rate of about 90%. The Candidates’ Coach Academy is currently recruiting for the 2027 municipal elections. Growing “long in the tooth,” Mark created a succession plan with Mary Kay Baldino and Joyce Slavik to assure that the Party can provide continuing successful support into the future.
In addition to Mark’s political activity, he plays trombone with the Arlington Jazz Exchange, a community jazz band, and conducts mixology classes at Bitter & Sweet Cocktail Boutique, which is conveniently located in the retail section of his building.
Through 55 working years, Mark has lived by four basic tenets:
“All is chaos, pure and simple;”
“Good is good enough;”
“Diversity uber alles"; and,
“Maxwell Smart worked for the wrong side."
Mark Walker
2026 Wheeling Township Democratic Organization Legacy Award
2026 Wheeling Township Democratic Organization Legacy Award
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Mark is a lifelong Democrat who has always believed in progress for Illinois. He's flipped Republican districts and mentored other Democrats to defeat Republicans. We need more of that proven fight at the state level, and that's why Mark is running for State Central Committeeman -- to help lead the Illinois Democratic Party to defeat Republican candidates and fight for our values.
As a former State Representative and current State Senator, Mark has supported legislation raising the minimum wage, enshrined access to reproductive healthcare, and passed legislation reigning in cryptocurrency bros like Elon Musk. Mark's extensive civic and leadership experience has always been about improving his community and helping those in need. Along with his wife Joan and their son, Mark has lived in Arlington Heights for over 35 years. And as a decorated Vietnam veteran, Mark has been a tireless advocate for veterans and active duty service members, in the Illinois General Assembly. |
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Mark first served as State Representative from 2009-2011, and again from 2019-2024. In May 2024, he was appointed to the State Senate. His areas of focus included budget reform, addressing high property taxes, and supporting small business.
Mark has been the recipient of the Abner Mikva Award for Political Courage. He's also the former Chairman of the Arlington Heights Veterans Committee, former board member of the Arlington Heights Park District Foundation, and former board member and Treasurer for Journeys The Road Home, a local organization helping those experiencing homelessness.
In his free time, Mark is an avid soccer fan and is always on the hunt for a great New York-style bagel.
Mark has been the recipient of the Abner Mikva Award for Political Courage. He's also the former Chairman of the Arlington Heights Veterans Committee, former board member of the Arlington Heights Park District Foundation, and former board member and Treasurer for Journeys The Road Home, a local organization helping those experiencing homelessness.
In his free time, Mark is an avid soccer fan and is always on the hunt for a great New York-style bagel.
2026 Keynote Speakers
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Aisha Davis
Senior Policy Counsel ACLU Illinois Aisha has dedicated her legal career to civil rights and human rights advocacy and has worked in policy and advocacy both domestically and internationally. She currently serves as senior policy counsel at the ACLU of IL and in this role, she focuses on LGBTQ+ rights and policing in the state of Illinois. Although she calls Chicago home, Aisha was born and raised in the Washington, DC area. Growing up near the nation's capitol inspired Aisha's passion for advocacy, and her family's influence sparked her desire to use her voice alongside her communities. She obtained her JD from Columbia Law School and LLM from the University of London in Human Rights, Conflict, and Justice, completing the degree program with a dissertation on intersectionality and international human rights. Outside of her work in advocacy, Aisha enjoys Black speculative fiction and most things nerdy.
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Daniel Biss
Mayor, City of Evanston
Democratic Candidate, IL-09 Congressional District
Mayor, City of Evanston
Democratic Candidate, IL-09 Congressional District
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As a legislator in the Illinois House and Senate, and now as mayor of Evanston, Daniel has delivered pragmatic progressive solutions covering a wide range of issues.
He has the proven record of not just fighting the important fights, but winning. He will do the same as our champion in Congress. He has built coalitions and brought people together to solve problems that have gone unaddressed for too long. As a legislator, that includes passing protections for LGBTQ+ youth, enacting major abortion rights legislation, providing retirement savings options to hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans who otherwise wouldn’t have access, and strengthening technology privacy requirements to protect civil liberties. |
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As mayor, Daniel has gone up against money and entrenched power to enact desperately-needed campaign finance reform and pass a first-in-the-state Healthy Buildings Ordinance to curb carbon emissions. While others talk about reform, Daniel worked with police and community leaders to create the Crisis Alternative Response Evanston (C.A.R.E.) program, a non-police response to low-risk service calls, where social workers and others have already answered more than 1,500 calls dealing with mental health emergencies and other needs that have helped Evanston achieve a record decline in violent crime.
Daniel grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, and moved to Chicago to join the University of Chicago’s mathematics faculty after completing his Bachelor’s degree at Harvard University and his Ph.D. in mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
He was first drawn to activism at the age of 25, speaking out to oppose the Iraq War and organizing support for progressive candidates and ideas. Through that work, Daniel became more engaged with the critical issues facing Illinois, leading him to run for state legislature.
After serving in both the Illinois House and Senate, Daniel was elected mayor of Evanston in 2021. His wife, Karin, is a former Peace Corps volunteer and a professor at National Louis University. They live in Evanston with their two children, Arya and Sparrow.
Daniel grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, and moved to Chicago to join the University of Chicago’s mathematics faculty after completing his Bachelor’s degree at Harvard University and his Ph.D. in mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
He was first drawn to activism at the age of 25, speaking out to oppose the Iraq War and organizing support for progressive candidates and ideas. Through that work, Daniel became more engaged with the critical issues facing Illinois, leading him to run for state legislature.
After serving in both the Illinois House and Senate, Daniel was elected mayor of Evanston in 2021. His wife, Karin, is a former Peace Corps volunteer and a professor at National Louis University. They live in Evanston with their two children, Arya and Sparrow.
About Patrick S. Botterman...Each year the Wheeling Township Democrats recognize an individual who has demonstrated the qualities of leadership and commitment that defined Patrick Botterman.
Pat Botterman began volunteering with the Wheeling Township Democratic Organization in high school, and went on to serve as Committeeperson for 17 years. During his tenure, Pat built the Democratic base in the Northwest suburbs while at the same time counseling and managing campaigns throughout Illinois. As a result, he mentored scores of campaign workers and candidates in the fine art of grassroots organization and political strategy. Pat made the Democratic Party a prominent political force in the Chicago suburbs. Each year we look to honor a leader who lives their values and illuminates the power of grassroots activism. |
Patrick S. Botterman
1964 - 2008 |
Previous Botterman Leadership Award Honorees
2025 — Dawn Frenzel
2024 — The Pinta Pride Project 2023 — Kathleen Sances 2022 — Patrick Watson 2019 — Hannah Hyman 2018 — Cassie Wagner 2017 — Ben Head 2016 — Carl Camacho 2015 — Alex Armour 2014 — Bridget Gray 2013 — Ram Villivalam 2012 — Rob Nesvacil 2011 — Brian Koppe 2010 — Scott Cizek 2009 — Patrick Corcoran 2008 — Kelly Friskics and Chet Farley |
