Illinois REALTORS® Senior Director of Legislative & Political Affairs was named speaker of the Illinois Third House, an organization of Illinois lobbyists on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019, in Chicago. She’s pictured with association Senior Vice President for Governmental Affairs Greg St. Aubin.
Illinois REALTORS® Senior Director of Legislative & Political Affairs Julie Sullivan was honored by her peers as the speaker of the Illinois Third House on Thursday.
The Illinois Third House is an organization that consists of all registered Illinois lobbyists. It has been in existence since 1944, and every year since, one person is elected by all former living Speakers to serve as the speaker of the Third House for the upcoming year.
Work ethic, integrity, and years of service are all important considerations in selecting the speaker, a decision which is announced at the organization’s annual holiday party.
Although the title is largely ceremonial, there is no higher honor for an Illinois lobbyist than to be named speaker of the Third House.
For the past several years the annual holiday party has been held at the Chicago Hilton, built in 1927 and originally named the Stevens Hotel after its original owners, the father and grandfather of recently deceased Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, a native Chicagoan.
A Rockford native, Sullivan has been a lobbyist for Illinois REALTORS® for 30 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history and political science and a master’s degree in political science from Eastern Illinois University. Prior to joining Illinois REALTORS® Sullivan worked on the research staff for House Speaker Mike Madigan.