Cook County Commissioner Gorman's replacement could come next week

A new Cook County Board commissioner could be named next week after Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman announced that she will resign from the 17th District seat she has held since 2002.

Gorman, whose last day is Monday, said she is taking a director role with a Fortune 100 company with a corporate office in Chicago but cannot yet disclose which one.

"They approached me and this is a great opportunity that doesn't come along too often," Gorman said. "I figured this would be a good time to make a graceful exit."

Gorman said she has seen Cook County government transform during her 13 years as a commissioner.

"Cook County is running in the right direction," she said. "There have been many reforms that have been made over the years and it has been interesting to be a part of the revolution."

Gorman said she is most proud of her work helping turn around the Cook County Forest Preserve District and battling for years to repeal former county board President Todd Stroger's sales tax increase. On Wednesday, Gorman voted "present" as the board approved a 1 percentage point sales tax increase.

Gorman starts in her new position July 27 and said she will be overseeing state and local government projects. In her resignation letter, Gorman called her years on the board "some of the most rewarding of my life."

A replacement will likely be named next week when the Republican committeemen whose townships make up the 17th District meet and potentially vote on a successor, Gorman said.

District 17 is primarily a South suburban district but includes much of Des Plaines and parts of Rosemont and Elk Grove Village. Sean M. Morrison, Republican committeeman for Palos Township, is the only one to throw his name in the ring so far, Gorman said.

The successor will finish out Gorman's turn, which runs until November 2018.

Gorman and her family live in Orland Park where she has been the Orland Township Republican committeeman since 2003, a role she will retain. She also served one year at the Cook County GOP chairman.

Gorman's time in office was not without controversy.

Her husband, Gerald Gorman, owned a Chrysler and Dodge dealership in Midlothian. In 2006, Daimler Chrysler won a $4.2 million judgment against the Gormans, and in 2010, Gerald Gorman closed the dealership shortly before filing for bankruptcy. Liz Gorman filed for bankruptcy in November of that year, a few days after her she was re-elected. The bankruptcy case was closed in June 2011.