* I really hate to lose this guy. But he was retiring anyway and he apparently got a new job, so good for him…

State Representative Chad Hays (R-Catlin) announced today that he will be stepping down from his seat in the Illinois House of Representatives early so he can take a job in the private sector.

Hays, who has served in the General Assembly since December of 2010 and as Assistant Minority Leader since 2013, said he will leave his post in late August or early September, to become the Executive Director of Crosspoint Human Services in Danville. “While my service in the Illinois General Assembly has been the honor of a lifetime and a tremendous privilege, I have decided the timing is right to return to the private sector where my background and expertise in healthcare administration can be put to good use,” said Hays. “I look forward to this next chapter, but will always look back fondly on my time as the legislative voice of the 104th District.”

Prior to taking his seat in in the Illinois House, Hays served as the Vice President of Provena United Samaritan Medical Center in Danville, as the administrator for the Family Medical Center in Paris, and as the Director of Planning & Development at the Danville Polyclinic. Hays also served as the Mayor of his hometown of Catlin for two terms and as a member of the Board of Directors for many community based organizations including Danville Area Economic Development Corporation (Vermilion Advantage), Danville Rotary Club, and the Vermilion Area Community Health Center.

During his tenure in the General Assembly, Hays has been a leader in supporting job creation and economic growth, not just in Central Illinois, but across the state. As Assistant Minority Leader under House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs), Hays has also had a key role in helping to set the Republican agenda for each session year. Since 2015, Hays has also served on the powerful House Executive Committee, which considers the State’s most important and often contentious bills. Hays is known for his unrelenting advocacy on behalf of the East Central Illinois region and his no-nonsense approach to problem solving.

While Hays has passed dozens of bills during his time in the General Assembly, he points to landmark insurance network adequacy legislation from last year as one of his greatest achievements as a lawmaker. Hays was the leading Republican sponsor of Public Act 100-0502, which offers significant protections and remedies for Illinoisans who rely on increasingly-narrow preferred provider networks for their health insurance.

Hays said the details for his transition back to the private sector are being finalized, and he anticipates leaving the General Assembly in early September.

His letter to Leader Durkin has a September 7th effective date.