Learning about Normal Town Council Candidates: Brad McMillan
Written by WZND Newsroom on March 12, 2021
NORMAL, Ill. – Three Town Trustee seats are up for grabs in the Normal Town Council, and election day is nearing. Nine candidates are vying for the position, including Brad McMillan.
McMillan is a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University and Southern Illinois University School of Law, and is currently the Executive Director of the Institute For Principled Leadership In Public Service at Bradley University. There, he teaches leadership studies to graduate and undergraduate students. McMillan says his 14 years at Bradley University sparked a passion for leadership and helped him prepare for the Normal Town Council.
“Leadership is my passion and I love developing other leaders. My campaign team is actually made up of former students of mine that are now young professionals that live in Normal,” said McMillan. “The teaching I’ve done at Bradley I think has given me a great foundation. I strongly believe in collaboration, I strongly believe in mutual respect, and I would bring those traits to the Normal Town Council if I was lucky enough to get elected.”
In addition to teaching experience, McMillan has plenty of experience with politics as well. For ten years, he served as District Chief of Staff to former Congressman Ray LaHood. McMillan played an important role in developing community projects as well as economic development under LaHood. He emphasized creating diverse groups of people together to make projects work as well as creating a stronger community.
Because of his economic work with LaHood, McMillan believes he can help boost the Normal economy. He looks at Rivian, an electric automobile manufacturer, as a glimpse of what Normal can become.
“I look at Rivian, and Rivian is going gangbusters right now. They’re hiring hundreds of new workers. They’ve already sold out their pickup trucks for this year,” said McMillan. “When you look at the new Biden administration, they’re going to prioritize green technology and energy companies. There’s going to be all kinds of incentives for those companies to flourish, and I really believe that Normal is in a great position to be a hub for that kind of new business activity.”
Additionally, booming business from a company like Rivian will carry over to everyone else, McMillan says.
“When you have a business like Rivian doing so well, it helps lift everybody else’s boats. The people they’re hiring are buying homes in Bloomington-Normal, they’re going to our restaurants, they’re going to our shops,” said McMillan. “If you are successful at bringing those to Normal, it’s going to boost the entire region’s economy.”
The election will be held on April 6, and early voting is already underway. Brad McMillan says he will bring a new and different perspective to Normal if elected.
“I’m a gay married man, I live on Normal Avenue in the heart of our community, and I think I would bring a different, fresh, diverse perspective to the Normal Town Council if I was given the opportunity to serve.”
