“When I first ran for city council, Dad sat down at his manual typewriter, the only kind of typewriter he ever used, and typed out a one-page list of hot tips for the campaign and one of them was ‘have lots of coffees,’” She says.

“I think the one thing my dad would cite, what he learned from his father, was about speaking up when some things may be right but not popular. I think that was a guiding principle for Dad and one that he has definitely passed on to me and my brother, that you need to stand up for what’s right even when it’s not the popular thing to say.”

Sheila Simon’s brother, Martin Simon, who is a commercial photojournalist in Washington, D.C., says the family knew his older sister would one day enter elective office.

“I think both my parents would be very happy for her,” he says. “It is certainly special that he held this office as well and that she intends to provide some of the same kinds of service that he did back in the late ’60s.” Martin Simon adds that his sister will add her own twist to the office their father once held.

Lt. Gov. Simon says her top priority is the constitutional duty to be ready to take over as governor if needed.

“I’ve encouraged the governor to keep shooting hoops and stay healthy so that’s not needed,” She says. “That’s a responsibility I take seriously.”

She pursued the office “out of public service,” she says, because she has been an admirer of Gov. Quinn’s and has worked closely with him on the Illinois Reform Commission, which monitors ethics in government.

“I really appreciate his goals, what he wants to achieve as governor and wanted to support him in that,” she says.

Simon is the second female to hold the office of lieutenant governor in Illinois, following Corrine Wood, who served between 1999 and 2003. Simon sees the political “playing field” wide open for women from all walks of life.

“I would say the sky’s the limit. There are no restrictions on young women…. Women have been involved in politics nationally and in Illinois in small but growing numbers. This year, when our new constitutional officers are sworn in, it will be one half men and one half women for the first time ever in history of the state of Illinois, to which I say, about time.”

Gov. Quinn has asked Simon to be his education point person, which shouldn’t be out of the ordinary for a woman who understands a thing or two about education. Simon is a former professor married to a professor, with two daughters in public schools.

She feels that there needs to be a “broader scope” in terms of how student outcomes are measured. Simon is a firm believer in the arts and hopes to maintain a well-rounded education for Illinois students.

She will also serve as chair of the Illinois River Coordinating Council, General Affairs Commission and Green Government Coordinating Council, among others.

“I’d like to look a little bit further down the road and how to move towards a more green and global economy in Illinois,” she says, citing a need for job development.

“…And then there are some other things that make me more accessible, like being a banjo player,” she told Illinois Times the day before the inauguration.

Simon tunes her banjo as she looks over at keyboardist, Maria Johnson, and waves to the crowd enjoying the dessert reception at Illinois Education Association, Jan. 9. As the beat starts in, she begins plucking away at the five strings, tapping her toe and singing lyrics she wrote herself.

The self-taught banjo player says she picked up the instrument in law school after “failing miserably” at the guitar. “I thought, one less string... I can’t do a bar chord on a guitar so I thought, hey, I’ll try a banjo. It has only five strings and look at the number of fingers on my left hand, five!” she says holding up her hand. “We’re a perfect match.”

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