McHenry County Board member John Hammerand has been added to the Triton College Hall of Fame.

Here’s what is written about him:

How has Triton College made an impact on your life?

Triton gave me the tools to be a successful businessman; to be elected and serve as treasurer of a fire protection district and to understand financial problems and make decisions based on knowledge. All this made possible being elected six times as McHenry County Board Member having served over 20 years.

Biography

John grew up in Franklin Park, Illinois, graduating from East Leyden High School in 1970. After working
for 6 months, he decided to return to school, so while working, he attended Triton College, from January 1971 to June 1974. He received a Certificate in Accounting and Associate in both Arts and Science in Business Management.

After graduation he became a sales representative for Major Capital Equipment Manufacturers. However, when the economy turned, he began apprenticeship training for plumbing, and received his Journeyman License. As he already was a master electrician and recipient of a universal certificate in refrigeration, he decided in 1987 after a move to Wonder Lake, Illinois, to start his own mechanical service firm which has proven to be successful to the present day.

In 1990, John was asked by fellow citizens to petition for appointment to the Wonder Lake Fire Protection District. Elected treasurer, he found that the district’s financial situation was in poor shape. He had to prepare audits from previous years and he and his fellow trustees worked to put the district back in sound financial shape. He prepared budgets in compliance with state statutes and recovered over $12,000 of overpayments. After five years, the district was able to purchase two tankers without ever increasing the levy.

In 1998, John won election to the McHenry County Board. In his 16 years on the Board, he has served on the Finance Committee. He also served as Chairman of the Liquor & License Committee for 12 years, on the Management Services Committee, Building Projects Committee, Public Health and Human Services, and Stormwater Committee. He was recently appointed as a member of the Transportation Committee. He also served in the past on the McHenry County Regional Planning Committee. John has accomplished much as a County Board Member. One example: the newspaper has credited John for identifying $400,000 in overspending for construction of the County Highway Department Building.

John has also been involved in Community Service. He is Past President of McHenry Lions Club (1996-1997 and 2005-2006) and a member for 20 years. He has been a 4-H Leader and County Fair Judge for nearly 20 years. He has been a Moose Member since 1976. He has volunteered in many schools and other local entities. He was recently inducted into the First Annual Hall of Fame for the University of Illinois Extension, McHenry County.

John has been a great husband to Cheryl, a fellow alumna of Triton College, for 41 years and a great father and mentor for his children, William and April.