James Patrick Hickey (born February 22, 1973) is the President of the Orland Fire Protection District, (OFPD), one of the largest Fire Protection Districts in the State of

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

and the Midwest. The Orland Fire Protection District covers Orland Township, the Village of

Orland Park Orland Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, with a small portion in Will County. The village is a suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, Orland Park had a population of 58,703. Located 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Chicago ...

, the Village of

Orland Hills Orland Hills (formerly Westhaven) is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 6,893. Geography Orland Hills is located between Orland Park and Tinley Park. Orland Hills has two lakes: Lake Ashbou ...

, unincorporated areas of Orland Township, and parts of

Tinley Park Tinley Park (formerly Bremen) is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, with a small portion in Will County. The village is a suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 55,971. It is one of the fastest growing suburbs ...

. Hickey was first elected to serve a six year term on the OFPD in 2009 as a trustee, and was elected as the board's president in 2010. As the new president of the board, Hickey and the board cut the District's budget by more than $2 million during the first year. Born in Chicago, Illinois, he attended St Adrian Grammar School,

St. Laurence High School St. Laurence High School is a co-educational, STEM-based high school founded in 1961. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, the school is conducted by the Congregation of Christian Brothers and is named for the Irish Saint Laure ...

DePaul University DePaul University is a private university, private, Catholic higher education, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Congregation of the Mission, Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th-centu ...

(BA Liberal Arts), and graduated from Benedictine University with an MBA and concentrations in Finance & Accounting. He's the director of business development (real estate) for Peace Village, a senior citizens community in Palos Park, but before that was a partner in a mortgage and real estate business. Hickey grew up on the Southwest Side of Chicago in St. Adrian Parish near 71st Street and Western Avenue "where my parents and grandparents had lived." Hickey has also run several times for public elective office including in the

Democratic Primary This is a list of Democratic Party presidential primaries. 1912 This was the first time that candidates were chosen through primaries. New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson ran to become the nominee, and faced the opposition of Speaker of the Unit ...

election for the new 11th Congressional District in 2012, which was won by Democrat and incumbent Congressman Bill Foster. The 11th District includes the municipalities of Joliet, Aurora, Naperville, Burr Ridge, Woodridge, Darien, Bolingbrook and Plainfield, but does not include Orland Park or the OFPD. During his election, he proposed eliminating the interest paid by students on government loans to college students as a means of assisting college students. In December 2013, he announced his intention to run for the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

in the 2nd Congressional District, the seat formerly held by former Congressman

Jesse Jackson Jesse Louis Jackson (né Burns; born October 8, 1941) is an American political activist, Baptist minister, and politician. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as a shadow U.S. senator ...

, but later withdrew. Hickey also was a surprise candidate for a seat on the Cook county Board in the 17th District to challenge three-term incumbent Cook County Commissioner Elizabeth Doody Gorman. But Hickey, a Democrat, and Gorman, a Republican commissioner and GOP Committeeman of Orland Township, are political allies. Hickey was unchallenged in the March 18, 2014 Democratic Primary and is the Democratic nominee for the November 4, 2014 general election. Hickey said he entered the race for the 17th District Cook County Board believing that Gorman, his ally who was a key supporter in Hickey's election, was planning to run for higher office and that he would only seek Gorman's seat in the November 4, 2014 Illinois general election if she retired. Hickey is the past president of Toastmasters International (2005–2006). He is divorced and has four children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hickey, James Patrick American real estate brokers Living people 1973 births People from Cook County, Illinois DePaul University alumni Benedictine University alumni Illinois Democrats