Secretary
Amy Rueff lives in Decatur and is a community activist. She grew up in Wapella, Illinois as the youngest of 19 children and has worked her entire career as a union member.
Amy is the Resource Director for the Illinois AFL-CIO where she has worked for 20 years (since April 5, 2004). This job allows her the opportunity to work with unions representing nearly 900,000 members throughout the state of Illinois. Her duties include development of educational trainings, seminars, and conferences for the state organization as well as involvement in mobilizing around community and political campaigns. She also provides all the graphic design for the organization. She works closely with the 21 central labor councils and 20 building and construction trades councils in Illinois.
She is a 38-year union member. During the early years at the IL AFL-CIO, she coordinated the Member Assistance Program helping dislocated workers through peer counseling and training into new careers. She applied for grants and did quarterly reporting for the program helping thousands of workers regain employment. In 2015, she was commissioned to write a state matching grant to renovate the Mother Jones statue and cemetery in Mt. Olive, Illinois – the resting place of labor activist and heroine Mary “Mother” Jones. This grant brought in $43,000 in state grant money and another $78,000 from local unions which completed all the restorations and savings to perform future maintenance.
Prior to her employment at the Illinois AFL-CIO, Amy began her career in 1986 – at the age of 19 – working for Illinois Power at the Clinton Nuclear Power Station where she worked as a Word Processor Operator and Administrative Clerk. She was a member of IBEW Local 1306 and served as chief steward, unit recorder, vice president, executive board member and was the youngest President ever elected at the age of 28.
In 1996, she was selected to serve as the AFL-CIO Community Services Liaison with United Way and Decatur Trades & Labor Assembly promoting union involvement in philanthropy and volunteerism. She continues to serve as an officer of Decatur Trades & Labor Assembly and coordinates activities such as Workers Memorial Day, NALC Food Drive, Labor Day activities and various fundraisers. She also serves as Transition Assistant to the Springfield & Central Illinois Trades & Labor Council. She is currently a member of Laborers Local 362.
She attended Parkland College, Richland College and the National Labor Academy focusing on Labor Studies and graduated from the Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership (IWIL) Training Academy in 2018.
Notable recognition includes serving as Grand Marshal in the Decatur Labor Day parade; Decatur’s Top 50 Leaders by the Herald & Review in 1999; YWCA’s Woman of Excellence Labor Award in 2000 and Labor’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. In 2022, Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs recognized Amy for outstanding achievements in Workforce and Labor during Women’s History Month.
She co-founded and chairs the Michael E. Shampine Memorial Scholarship – from 2007 to 2023 – which has provided $67,125 in scholarships and grants to 93 students representing 22 different unions.
Additionally, she co-founded and chairs We Are One Community, a charitable giving organization for working families in Macon County. This fund has collected $234,126 since 2011 (13 years) and has benefitted local charities.
She is also treasurer for the Michael T. Carrigan Solidarity Scholarship which provides scholarships to those entering building & construction trade careers.
Politically, she was an elected official, serving two 4-year terms as Decatur Township Trustee. She has been a precinct committeeperson since she was 28 years old – first in DeWitt County and now in Macon County. She ran for Macon County Clerk in 2018. In April 2023, she co-founded the new Democratic Women of Macon County activist group.
She is currently a Commissioner on the Governor’s Volunteerism and Community Service commission – SERVE Illinois – and is chair of the Volunteer Recognition committee.
Amy works in Springfield and lives in Decatur with her husband, Rick. She has two sons, three stepdaughters and fourteen grandchildren. Her hobbies include spending time with her grandchildren, attending Rick Springfield concerts, and making things happen.