Representative Meyers-Martin was born and raised in Chicago and currently resides in the Village of Olympia Fields, IL. She has lived in the Southland for over 40 years and raised two beautiful daughters. She is a respected visionary leader with over 20 years of commendable achievement. She is a graduate of University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), and a proud member of the Teamsters Union Local 916 and the Joint Council 25. She is also a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Epsilon Nu Sigma Chapter.
Representative Meyers-Martin is the first African American woman to serve as Mayor for the Village of Olympia Fields. While serving as Mayor, she brought a major retailer to the Village’s Business corridor that created over 300 jobs for the region and brought close to $1 million dollars in sales tax revenue to the Village of 5000 people. Moreover, she was instrumental in the Village’s partnership with Franciscan Health Hospital’s $116 million dollar expansion in Olympia Fields which allowed a major healthcare provider to remain in the south suburban region. Also while Mayor, Representative Meyers-Martin served as President of South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association (a Council of Government that administers to 45 municipalities in the Southland Region). She created a municipal task force designed to address the needs of the region’s water supply and water rate challenges. She was appointed by then Governor Pat Quinn to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Justice Committee where she and members of the Advisory Committee were responsible for consulting on major community EPA issues and beginning the discussion regarding the designation of Environmental Justice Communities.
Representative Meyers-Martin was the Community Affairs Marketing Specialist for the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office. She was responsible for marketing all Illinois State Treasurer Programs including the I-Cash, Illinois Funds and Bright Start Programs. Additionally, she served as the liaison to all local Chambers of Commerce, Small Business Development Centers, Economic Development Councils and south suburban municipalities in the State of Illinois. She served on the President’s Advisory Committee for Prairie State College, was a member of the Southland Regional Black Mayor’s Caucus, and the National African American Mayors Association. Representative Meyers-Martin was named one of the 50 Women of Excellence by the Chicago Defender and given the Outstanding Woman’s Award by the Honorable Dorothy Brown, Clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court.
Representative Meyers-Martin is currently the 38th District State Representative of Illinois where she is a member of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus (ILBC), she is the Secretary of the Illinois Legislative Joint Black Caucus, the Democratic Women’s Caucus, and the Conference of Women Legislators (COWL). As a member of the ILBC, she has been designated as the Liaison to all African-American Mayors in the State of Illinois. Representative Meyers-Martin serves on 5 Legislative Committees. They include: Higher Education Appropriations; General Services Appropriations; Chair of Consumer Protection, Transportation Roads and Bridges, and Mental Health and Addiction.
As state Representative, she oversees 8 Municipalities that include all of or portions of Frankfort, Tinley Park, Oak forest, Olympia Fields, Matteson, Richton park, Hazel Crest, Mokena, and Country Club Hills. These municipalities collectively have a population of over 109,000 people.
Representative Meyers-Martin is committed to effectively serving the 38th District and to the creation of an enhanced quality of life for the entire southland. At her core, she is a humanitarian and has an immense passion for serving the people of Illinois with special attention to those within her District.