MAYOR JIM ARDIS: 2005 – PRESENT

Our Mayor is a lifelong Peorian. He graduated from Spalding Institute in 1977 and graduated with a B.S. in Industrial Technology from Illinois State University in 1982. He and his wife Mimi have been married for over 26 years and have 3 children. His community activities are numerous, most notably participating in the Memphis to Peoria Run for St. Jude. 2013 marks his 19th consecutive year on the 465 mile trek from Memphis. Jim also serves on the Board of the St. Jude Midwest Affiliate, is Board President of the Tim Ardis Foundation for Hope and is the Founder and President of the Board for the Peoria Promise. Since 2011 Jim has been the Executive Director for Corporate Strategies at Axis Global Engineering, a firm that has been in Peoria for over 25 years.

Jim was first elected to the Peoria City Council in 1999 as a councilman at-large.He was re-elected to a second term in that position in 2003, and was elected to his first term as Mayor in 2005, and re-elected in 2009. In April 2013 Jim was un-opposed and reelected to his third term as Mayor.

Message from Mayor Ardis:

I am honored to serve the citizens of our great city. Over the decades Peoria has successfully transitioned from an agriculture based community to an industrial based workforce and now a major business center with Caterpillars World Headquarters as the hub. Additionally, because of our aggressive expansion in Medicine from both a clinical and research & development perspective, Peoria is positioned to play a pivotal role as a successful regional health care resource. You need look no further than the new Cancer Research Building at the University of Illinois College of Medicine campus and the recently opened Jumptrade Simulation and Education Center on the Campus of OSF Medical Center. In this highly competitive environment it is essential that we continue to grow to sustain ourselves. The Focus Forward Central Illinois regional economic development plans are pivotal to our regions ability to grow and be sustainable. I encourage everyone to play an active part in our community’s growth and success. Get involved as we continue to develop and diversify. Peoria is an outstanding place to live, work and play. Spread the word.