Adam Andrzejewski was raised in the close knit, farming community of Herscher, IL, in Kankakee County. He is the oldest of 7 children.
In a county beleaguered by unemployment, his father worked two jobs, as a school teacher and real estate agent, to provide for the family. Early in life, Adam relied on his family, faith and rural community while developing his tough work ethic.
Adam worked various odd jobs helping those in the town and worked in the hot summer fields alongside the local farmers. During college years, he worked at a suburban insurance company and also at a construction company as a laborer. His life experiences taught him the value of each hard earned dollar. He was frugal and saved his earnings, allowing him to graduate from Northern Illinois University with a business degree.
After college, Adam and his brother started a family publishing business. The Andrzejewski brothers published hometown phonebooks and competed against the perceived "monopoly" of the telephone company's yellow page directories. Rather than publish a large "Chicago sized" directory, these new community telephone books matched local residents to their local businesses. Knowing that 87% of purchases were made within a seven mile radius of home, the smaller, hyper-local phonebooks were very useful. Starting from their apartments, Adam and his brother employed 150 people after nine years, and sales grew to nearly $20 million. Adam's company received national recognition in Success Magazine in the Summer 2006 issue. The company is headquartered in Dekalb, IL in a 27,000 square foot building. In January of 2007, Adam sold his share of the still very successful business. But rather than retire at age 37, Adam then founded the ForTheGoodOfIllinois organization.
The mission of ForTheGoodOfIllinois is to bring transparency, accountability, efficient service, and frugality to Illinois governments. Just like in business, Adam is results oriented. His organization spearheaded the financial transparency movement. Starting with Illinois school districts, Adam trained hometown people to ask their own school districts to post their check register online. The result is that over $1 billion in checks detailing spending of taxpayer money have been posted to local websites! In January of 2009, Adam was the resource of DuPage Auditor Bob Grogan as DuPage County became the first county of 102 in Illinois to post their spending. Then, Adam was a resource for Commissioner Tony Peraica- as the Cook County Board voted to post their checkbook! Adam resigned from ForTheGoodOfIllinois before announcing his candidacy for Governor.
Adam is married to Kerry. They are parents of three daughters. The Andrzejewski home is in Hinsdale. The Andrzejewski’s are parishioners of St. Isaac Jogues Catholic Church in Hinsdale.
Adam has played the violin since the fourth grade. Enjoying the challenge of chess as a youth, Adam beat the high school chess champion while still in grade school and played a ranked U.S. chess player on a visit to his county. Adam is a marathon runner and he competed in the 26.2 mile Chicago Marathon in 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2002.
Adam Andrzejewski brings a much needed new perspective to Illinois leadership. He is determined to organize people who will demand government results. Together, there is a reason for hope to bring a new direction to Illinois.
FAVORITE QUOTATIONS:
G.K. Chesterton stated, “The highest office any of us can aspire to is to the office of citizen!”
"I Pray Heaven to Bestow The Best of Blessing on THIS HOUSE, and on ALL that shall hereafter Inhabit it. May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under This Roof!" John Adams, letter to Abigail Adams, November 2, 1800