Chambana Sun

Rep. Chad Hays (R-Catlin) has announced he plans to step down from his post in the 104th District sooner than expected so that he can accept a position in the private sector.

Hays, who first went public with his plans to resign nearly a year ago, now says he will walk away either in late August or early September to become executive director of Crosspoint Human Services in Danville.

He has served in the General Assembly since 2010, the last five years as assistant minority leader.

“My service in the Illinois General Assembly has been the honor of a lifetime and a tremendous privilege,” Hays said in a press release. “I look forward to this next chapter, but will always look back fondly on my time as the legislative voice of the 104th District.”

Hays had made the issues of job creation and economic growth staples of his tenure, developing the reputation of a no-nonsense legislator committed to problem-solving. He points to landmark insurance network adequacy legislation from 2017 as one of his greatest achievements.

There, he served as leading GOP 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.

In addition to serving as mayor of his hometown of Catlin for two terms, Hays previously 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.