Ken Burzynski - 59th District

Ken Burzynski is a small business owner born and raised in Southern Illinois.  The son of a farmer and coal miner, Ken was taught from an early age to respect the value of hard work and common sense.

After graduating from Southern Illinois University, Ken entered the business world and his career carried him around the country working for both large and small companies.  While Ken enjoyed his career helping businesses grow and improving their operations, he never forgot where he came from or the friends, family and communities in Southern Illinois.

In 2003, Ken chose to return to Southern Illinois.  Putting his business skills to work in Benton, Ken started County Seat Antique Mall.  Conventional wisdom was that this was a tough endeavor.  But nearly four years later, County Seat Antique Mall is a successful small business that has spurred economic development.  The Southern Illinoisan newspaper called Ken Burzynski “the leader of the pack” saying the County Seat Antique Mall revitalized downtown Benton by helping other local businesses attract customers.

While operating his business in Benton, Ken became Executive Director of the Franklin Regional Economic Development Corporation (FREDCO) in 2005 and has worked diligently to bring new businesses and much needed jobs to Southern Illinois.  In 2007, Ken was successful in convincing FedEx Ground to build a distribution site in West Frankfort.  The $3.8 million facility will employ nearly 60 full-time and part-time employees when it opens in March 2008.

Tourism plays a major role in the economic development of Southern Illinois. With Southern Illinois’ rich historical heritage and beautiful state parks, there are many reasons for vacationers to visit our communities. Because of his strong background in economic development, Ken was chosen to serve on the Board of Directors of the Southern Illinois Tourism Development Office (SITDO), an organization that serves twenty-two southern counties of Illinois.

A resident of Benton, IL, Ken has been married to Carmen for thirty-nine years and together they have four grown children.  Ken and Carmen are members of Immanuel Baptist Church.  Ken has a special interest in music, classic cars, and is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys hunting and fishing.  He is also a member of Rotary International.

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