Gary Skoien

Gary Jackson Skoien (b. 1954) is a Republican politician from Illinois. He served as Chairman of the Cook County, Illinois Republican Central Committee from 2004 to 2006.
Politics
In the early 1980s, Skoien was the Assistant to the Governor for Health and Welfare, for then-Illinois Governor Jim Thompson. From 1983 to 1991, Skoien was Executive Director of the Illinois Capital Development Board.
In 2002 and 2004, Skoien, an Inverness, Illinois resident, challenged U.S. Congressman Phil Crane in the Republican primary elections. Crane won both times; in November 2004, Crane lost to Democrat Melissa Bean
In 2004, Skoien was elected Chairman of the Cook County Republican Central Committee following a contentious election that also included Republican State Central Committeeman Maureen Murphy and Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica. Eventually, Skoien prevailed, widely seen as a compromise candidate that appealed to the Republican vote-rich northern suburbs of Cook County.
In early 2006, reports suggested that outgoing U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald, a close friend of Skoien's and fellow Inverness, Illinois resident, had asked Skoien, two years earlier, to seek the position of Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party following Judy Baar Topinka's anticipated resignation in January, 2005. Ultimately, Skoien demurred to Andy McKenna Jr, a paper company magnate and unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2004.
In 2007, Skoien resigned as Cook County Republican Party chairman, citing his wife's diagnosis with breast cancer.
Skoien is currently a Committeeman for Palatine Township.
Business
In the summer of 2005, Skoien made national headlines when as Chairman of the Cook County, Illinois Republican Central Committee, he offered a $10,000 bounty for any information leading to the indictment and conviction of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. Skoien immediately drew fire from both Democrats and Republicans for this bounty. Two days after Mr. Skoien's announcement of the bounty, he departed as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Office of Prime Realty, a firm that has considerable real estate holdings in the city of Chicago .
In 2007, Skoien financed and developed the Outlet Shoppes at El Paso, a successful retail outlet center discount shoppping experience, with the support of Horizon Group Properties.
Skoien is Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Rosemont, Illinois-based Horizon Group Properties, Inc., a nationwide developer of outlet malls.
Personal
In 1976, Skoien received a degree in political science in from Colgate University in Hamilton, New York and in 1978 received a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

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