Dennis Deer
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Dennis Deer (August 7, 1972 – June 23, 2024) was an American politician who served as the
Cook County Commissioner The Cook County Board of Commissioners is a legislative body made up of 17 commissioners who are elected by district, and a president who is elected county-wide, all for four-year terms. Cook County, which includes the City of Chicago, is the Unit ...
for the 2nd district from 2017 until his death. He represented many neighborhoods in Chicago, including portions of the Loop, Near West Side, Near South Side, North Lawndale, Englewood, and Washington Park community areas. He was a member of the Democratic Party.


Early life and career

Deer was born on August 7, 1972, and raised in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago. He attended Collins High School in Chicago. After high school, he left the Chicago area to attend
Jackson State University Jackson State University (Jackson State or JSU) is a Public university, public Historically Black colleges and universities, historically black research university in Jackson, Mississippi. It is a member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and ...
and obtained his Bachelor of Science in elementary/
special Special or specials may refer to: Policing * Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force * Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer * Special police forces ...
education and Master of Science in
rehabilitation psychology Rehabilitation psychology is a specialty area of psychology aimed at maximizing the independence, functional status, health, and social participation of individuals with disabilities and chronic health conditions. Assessment and treatment may inclu ...
. Deer became interested in studying behavioral health after witnessing a murder at the age of 10 and suffering from
post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a Psychological trauma, traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster ...
. He later obtained his Ph.D. in Christian psychology from Agape Theological Institute. He also earned certifications as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, forensic counselor, rehabilitation counselor, corrective thinking therapist, and Illinois law enforcement standards and training instructor. Deer returned to Chicago after university and founded Deer Rehabilitation Services, a therapy services provider in North Lawndale with a specialty in rehabilitating ex-offenders. He also co-founded and served on the executive committee of the North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council, a group of community stakeholders working to guide comprehensive planning and implementation in North Lawndale. In his capacity as president of Deer Rehabilitation Services, Deer graduated from the Goldman Sachs
10,000 Small Businesses ''10,000 Small Businesses'' is a philanthropic initiative launched by Goldman Sachs and the Goldman Sachs Foundation in November 2009 that pledged $500 million in various aid to small businesses in the United States, United Kingdom, and France. ...
program and the Chicago Urban League nextONE business acceleration program. In 2018, Deer became the Vice-President of Organizational Health and Management for the Lawndale Christian Legal Center, a nonprofit provider of holistic legal services to people 24 years or younger that utilizes
restorative justice Restorative justice is a community-based approach to justice that aims to repair the harm done to victims, offenders and communities. In doing so, restorative justice practitioners work to ensure that offenders take responsibility for their ac ...
. As of 2020, Deer was also a landlord.


Political career


Early political involvement

In 2003, Deer ran for 24th ward
Alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...
in Chicago against two-term incumbent, Michael Chandler. After failing to challenge the nomination papers of Chandler, Deer went on to come in third place behind Alderman Chandler and Joe Ann Bradley, a co-founder of Citizen's Action Group which worked towards eliminating prostitution in North Lawndale. In 2007, Deer filed to run for 24th ward Democratic
Committeeman In the United States, a political party committee is an organization, officially affiliated with a political party and registered with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), which raises and spends money for political campaigning. Political party c ...
in the 2008 primary, but withdrew as a candidate after facing a challenge to his nominating papers. Deer served as the president of County Commissioner Robert Steele's fundraising committee until Steele's death in 2017 and considered Steele to be a mentor. He was also the chairman of an anti-violence task force that Steele's 2nd County District Community Advisory Council created with
U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
Danny K. Davis.


2017 appointment

2nd district
Cook County Commissioner The Cook County Board of Commissioners is a legislative body made up of 17 commissioners who are elected by district, and a president who is elected county-wide, all for four-year terms. Cook County, which includes the City of Chicago, is the Unit ...
Robert Steele died on June 19, 2017, due to complications related to
diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...
. On July 13, 2017, a committee chaired by 24th ward Alderman and Democratic Committeeman, Michael Scott Jr., and made up of the Chicago Democratic ward committeepeople for all wards that made up the 2nd district was convened to select Steele's replacement to fill the rest of his term. Votes for the successor were weighted based on how many constituents of each ward committeeperson were also a constituent of the 2nd district. Deer and 12 other candidates applied, including 20th ward Democratic Committeeman Kevin Bailey (a member of the selection committee), Reyahd Kazmi (the husband of
City Clerk A clerk (pronounced "clark" /klɑːk/ in British and Australian English) is a senior official of many municipal governments in the English-speaking world. In some communities, including most in the United States, the position is elected, but in ma ...
Anna M. Valencia), and
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and future
City Treasurer The municipal treasurer is a position of responsibility for a municipality according to the locally prevailing laws. The treasurer of a public agency is electedMelissa Conyears Melissa Conyears-Ervin is an American politician and the current Chicago City Treasurer. She was previously a Democratic Party (United States), Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 10th District since 2017. ...
. Conyears was also the wife of a selection committee member, 28th ward Alderman and Democratic Committeeman Jason Ervin. After appearing as a candidate, Conyears ultimately left prior to interviewing. Deer received endorsements from the chairman of the replacement committee, Alderman Scott Jr., and from the Steele family. The Steele family endorsement carried weight as Robert Steele had held the seat since 2006 and before that his mother, Bobbie L. Steele, held the seat from 1986–2006. Deer won over the committee as a life-long community member who could build on the work of Robert Steele. As the former president of Steele's fundraising committee, he said "We already know how to raise money. We know how to win elections and we're ready to hit ground running." After three rounds of voting, Deer won the fourth and final round unanimously.


2018 campaign

In 2018, Deer ran to be elected to his first full term as 2nd district Cook County Commissioner. Deer won the Democratic nomination in the March 20 Democratic primary, in which he faced four opponents. Deer stated that his priorities were "Fiscal Responsibility, Economic Development, Healthcare, and Public Safety." His opponents included Eddie Johnson III, a
Chicago Public Schools Chicago Public Schools (CPS), officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, in Chicago, Illinois, is the List of the largest school districts in the United States by enrollment, fourth-large ...
educator, Paul J. Montes II, attorney and entrepreneur, Lupe Aguirre, a Chicago police officer and attorney, and Darryl D. Smith, community volunteer. During the primary campaign, Deer was endorsed by U.S. Representative Danny Davis, Alderman Michael Scott Jr., Alderman
David Moore David Moore or Dave Moore may refer to: Politics * David E. Moore (1798-1875), American politician in Virginia * David Moore (Australian politician) (1824–1898), politician in Sandridge, Victoria, Australia * David Moore (Manx politician), ...
, former Cook County Board President and 2nd district Commissioner Bobbie Steele, the ''
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'' and the ''
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''. After winning the primary, Deer won the November 6, 2018, general election unopposed. He was sworn in for his first full term on December 3, 2018.


Cook County Commissioner


Tenure


2017 sweetened beverage tax repeal

Shortly after Deer took office, the Board of Commissioners considered the repeal of the controversial penny-an-ounce tax on sugar- and artificially sweetened beverages that was supported by President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners
Toni Preckwinkle Toni Lynn Preckwinkle (née Reed; born March 17, 1947) is an American politician and the incumbent County Board president in Cook County, Illinois, United States. She was elected to her first term as president of the Cook County Board of Commis ...
. After initially supporting the tax at the time of his appointment, Deer ultimately voted for the successful repeal of the tax on October 11, 2017.


Racial justice

On July 25, 2019, the Board of Commissioners passed Deer's resolution declaring racism and racial inequalities a public health crisis in Cook County. The resolution was intended to encourage growth in public health support networks to work towards decreases in racial disparities in health outcomes. Supporters of the bill believed it was important since communities of color are disproportionately affected by things such as exposure to lead, poor air quality, a lack of safe spaces, and inadequate health education. On July 7, 2020, Deer along with fellow Commissioners Deborah Sims, Stanley Moore,
Brandon Johnson Brandon Johnson (born March 27, 1976) is an American politician and educator who is currently serving as the 57th mayor of Chicago since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Johnson previously served on the C ...
, Bill Lowry and Donna Miller released a statement calling for passage of the Justice for Black Lives resolution. In referring to the changes demanded by recent
Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a Decentralization, decentralized political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination and Racial inequality in the United States, racial inequality experienced by black people, and to pro ...
protests the statement said, "As Black members of the Cook County Board we are determined to be the catalyst for that transformation in our county and beyond. The first step in that process is passage of the Justice for Black Lives Resolution, which would seek to redirect funds from our criminal justice system into systems and programs that support human needs and promote the health and welfare of the Black community." The
non-binding resolution A non-binding resolution is a motion adopted by a deliberative body that does not enact a law or a substantive rule, and is simply used to make known what the opinions of that body are in relation to a certain fact or event. This type of resoluti ...
passed in a 15–1 vote on July 30, 2020. In July 2020, Commissioners Deer and Moore withdrew their separate resolutions and combined their resolutions to make Juneteenth a holiday in Cook County. The measure was unanimously passed in December 2020.


2020 census

Deer served as one of the Vice-Chairs of the Cook County Complete Count Census Commission for the 2020 United States Census. In this capacity, he worked to help ensure everyone in Cook County was properly counted to make sure Cook County receives proper legislative representation and government funding in areas such as
social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. Also available amachine-converted HTML They may be provided by individuals, private and i ...
and infrastructure. On August 18, 2020, Deer co-hosted an event in Englewood giving out prizes to those who filled out the census with Alderman
Stephanie Coleman Stephanie D. Coleman (born April 13, 1988) is a Chicago politician. Coleman is the current alderman of Chicago's 16th ward, taking office as a member of the Chicago City Council in May 2019. She defeated incumbent alderman Toni Foulkes in the 2 ...
and various local organizations.


Housing

Deer supported the Just Housing Amendment that was passed by the Board of Commissioners on April 25, 2019, and went into effect January 1, 2020. The amendment prohibited landlords from denying housing applications based on arrest records or convictions that are more than 3 years old and required an individualized assessment of convictions less than 3 years old for otherwise qualified applicants. Deer decided he wanted to champion this issue as someone who is both a landlord and works with ex-incarcerated men and women. He stated, "There's no room for double jeopardy. People should not be required to pay over and over and over again for a crime they committed when they were 19."


Committee assignments

As a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Deer served on multiple committees of both the Board of Commissioners and the Forest Preserve District Board.


Cook County Board of Commissioners committee memberships

* ''Asset Management'' * ''Business and Economic Development'' * ''Criminal Justice'' * ''Contract Compliance'' * ''Emergency Management and Regional Security'' * ''Environment and Sustainability'' (Chairman) * ''Finance'' * ''Health and Hospitals'' (Chairman) * ''Human Relations'' (Chairman) * ''Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations'' * ''Rules and Administration'' * ''Technology and Innovation'' * ''Transportation'' * ''Veterans'' * ''Zoning and Building''


Cook County Forest Preserve District Board committee memberships

* ''Botanic Garden'' * ''Capital Development'' * ''Contract Compliance'' * ''Environment and Sustainability'' (Vice Chairman) * ''Finance'' (Vice Chairman) * ''Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations'' * ''Real Estate'' * ''Recreation'' * ''Rules'' * ''Zoological''


Personal life

Deer and his wife, Barbara, had three children. He was also a member of
Omega Psi Phi Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. () is a List of African-American fraternities, historically African-American Fraternities and sororities, fraternity. It was founded on November 17, 1911 at Howard University. Omega Psi Phi is a founding member of ...
fraternity.


Health and death

Deer had
situs inversus ''Situs inversus'' (also called ''situs transversus'' or ''oppositus'') is a Congenital disorder, congenital condition in which the major Organ (anatomy), visceral organs are reversed or mirror image, mirrored from their normal positions. The norm ...
, meaning his visceral organs were reversed from their normal locations. In 2022, he was diagnosed with
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
, and experienced a number of health complications around this time, including
polymyositis Polymyositis (PM) is a type of chronic inflammation of the muscles ( inflammatory myopathy) related to dermatomyositis and inclusion body myositis. Its name is derived . The inflammation of polymyositis is mainly found in the endomysial layer ...
and
interstitial lung disease Interstitial lung disease (ILD), or diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD), is a group of respiratory diseases affecting the interstitium (the tissue) and space around the alveoli (air sacs) of the lungs. It concerns alveolar epithelium, pulm ...
. The following year, he underwent a double lung transplant. Deer died on June 23, 2024, at the age of 51. Former Alderman Michael Scott Jr. was appointed to succeed him.


Electoral history


References


External links


Official Government websiteCampaign websiteLegislation sponsoredCampaign financial information
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deer, Dennis 1972 births 2024 deaths 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American politicians African-American Christians African-American people in Illinois politics Illinois Democrats Jackson State University alumni Lung transplant recipients Politicians from Chicago