President of Illinois Chamber of Commerce dies at 57

Todd Maisch: A Man Proud of the Place in Which He Lived
By State Senator Jil Tracy (R-Quincy)

President Abraham Lincoln had an inspirational quote that, for me, epitomizes the life and career of Illinois Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Todd Maisch, and what he meant to our state and its many businesses.

I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him. – Abraham Lincoln

Todd Maisch died June 1, and the outpouring from government, legislative, and business leaders is not surprisingly overwhelming. News stories and social media posts overflow with words like beloved, leader, fierce defender, astute, genuine, and likeable. And heartbroken.

The Illinois Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit membership business advocacy organization that represents the interests of businesses across the state. And there was no bigger advocate for business in Illinois than Todd Maisch. He joined the Illinois Chamber of Commerce in 1994 and became its President and CEO in 2014. His career was dedicated to making Illinois a good place to live, work and raise a family.

A fixture in the Statehouse during his tenure at the Chamber, Todd was well-known for helping find common ground on contentious issues. The Illinois Chamber’s Champion of Free Enterprise Award, given biennially to Senators and Representatives who demonstrated their commitment to the entrepreneurial spirit, was much prized by lawmakers.

Todd was married to Quincy native Kim Clarke Maisch and they have two sons. Kim worked as Executive Director for the National Federation of Independent Business for two decades. Todd and Kim were a powerful and ever-present duo at the Capitol, talking to legislators about the policies that would improve our business climate and create more jobs for Illinoisans. Like me, they knew more quality jobs would allow Illinois to grow and prosper.

My husband, Jim, served on the Chamber State Board with Todd for eight years. We are both grateful to have known Todd. He was a good friend to us and to all Illinoisans.