Representative Bennett has served as the State Representative for the 106th Representative District since 2015 and serves all or parts of Livingston, Iroquois, Woodford, Vermillion and Ford Counties. His district consists of approximately 108,000 people living in about 60 villages, towns and communities. The district has important manufacturing through such major corporations as Caterpillar and Dupont. There are over 25 K-12 and K-8 school districts in the 106th District. People have nearby access to five community colleges, Eureka College, the University of Illinois and Illinois State University. Small business and agriculture are keys to the area’s growth and prosperity. A number of residents work at the Correctional Centers in Pontiac and Danville.
Raised on a family farm, Rep. Bennett has served as a high school and junior high science teacher, IT professional at State Farm Insurance and State Representative of the 106th district. While working and raising a family, Rep. Bennett served as a K-12 school board member, member of the local pre-school board and chairman for two years. He was a member of the Parkland College Board of Trustees, including three years as chairman. As legislator, Rep. Bennett has served on task forces and commissions focused on early childhood, teacher assessments, environment and energy.
Active in state and national trustee organizations, Rep. Bennett is a Past Chair of the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA) in Springfield and Past Chair of the Board of the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) in Washington, D.C.
Rep. Bennett holds a BS in Education from Eastern Illinois University, a BS in Computer Science, an MBA from Illinois State University and a Doctorate of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University. Tom and wife, Kathy, reside in Gibson City. They have two grown children and five grandchildren.
