Meet Dan Aussem

Dan Aussem lives in the house where he grew up. He and his wife of 47 years, the former Sue Zaccagnini, have 5 children and 8 grandchildren.

He graduated from St. Columba Elementary School and Marquette High School prior to entering the iron workers union training program.

Dan was elected as a Union Business Agent in 1994 and in 2008 went to work for the Illinois Valley Contractors Association. He currently serves on several pension funds and health insurance funds.

His introduction to Ottawa government was an appointment to the Plan Commission by Mayor Eschbach. He was elected as a commissioner in 2007 and served as finance commissioner in his first term. He was re-elected in 2011 and 2015, choosing to act as public property commissioner overseeing the operations of the City’s water and waster water facilities.  Dan was elected Mayor in 2019 and is seeking a re-election April 4th 2023.

Dan’s Services & Experiences:

  • Business Manager of Ironworkers Local 386
  • President of the Illinois Valley Building Trades Council
  • Vice-President of the Illinois Valley AFL-CIO
  • President of the Ironworkers District Council of Chicago & Vicinity
  • Firefighters Pension Board
  • Served on Health Insurance Funds
  • appointed by Mayor Bob Eschbach to the Ottawa Plan Commission
  • 2007 Commissioner of Accounts and Finance
  • 2011 Commissioner over Water and Sewer departments plus Parks Department
  • 2015 Commissioner over Water and Sewer departments
  • 2019 Elected Mayor Of Ottawa

Elect Dan Aussem Mayor

Dan is currently Executive Director for the Illinois Valley Contractor’s Association

Experience

  • Management Trustee for:
      • Four Pension Funds with $4.3 billion assets
      • Four Health Insurance Funds serving 4,800 families
    • Apprenticeship & Training Funds

Trustworthy

    • Elected to several union leadership positions
    • Executive Director of the Illinois Valley Contractor’s Association 
  • Elected to Ottawa City Council since 2007 overseeing: Finance, Parks, and Water & Waste Water Departments

Fiscally Responsible

  • Raising such a large family has taught Dan to:
      • Prioritize
      • Plan
      • Budget
    • Adapt

Community Involvement

    • United Way Labor of Love
    • WCMY Freezin’ for a Reezin’
    • Ottawa Food Pantry’s Month of Milk
    • Ottawa First Fireworks Committee
    • Youth Service Bureau Board
    • Ottawa Plan Commission
  • Ottawa Chamber of Commerce

Economic Development

    • Ottawa Economic Development Task Force
    • LaSalle County Economic Development
  • North Central Illinois Economic Development Corporation with Mayor Eschbach

Vote Dan Aussem

April 2, 2019