Here’s a little about Liz…
Liz Nicholson is an experienced leader in government, politics, and non-profit organizations at the local, state, and national level. A life-long resident of Cook County, Liz believes that the government should be accountable to all of us. As Commissioner at the Cook County Board of Review, Liz will ensure that every taxpayer appealing their tax assessment gets a fair chance to reduce their property tax bill.
Looking out for Cook County taxpayers isn’t something that is new to Liz. In 2024, Liz led the fundraising and outreach efforts to defeat the 2024 Real Estate Transfer Tax Ballot Referendum in Chicago. The referendum was defeated, removing the undue burden from Chicago taxpayers and protecting multigenerational working-class families in Chicago who have most of their family’s financial stability tied to their home value.
As one of the most respected and seasoned campaign advisers in Illinois, Liz led political and fundraising efforts for over a decade in our Illinois State Senate, securing the Democratic supermajority; these efforts enabled passage of the marriage equality act, enshrined abortion protections and ensured passage of the Workers’ Rights Amendment. Liz also led efforts to ensure our Illinois State Supreme Court maintained the Democratic majority when 2 seats were in serious jeopardy in 2022.
Currently, as CEO of a woman-owned and managed consulting firm, Liz works as senior advisor to the National Democratic County Officials (NDCO), the political arm responsible for electing Democratic County officials throughout the country. NDCO exists as a strong and cohesive Democratic bulwark against Trump at both the national and local level.
Prior to her political efforts, Liz served as a top aide to Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White then as a senior public service administrator in two key agencies under the purview of the Governor. She was promoted to Deputy Director at the Illinois Department of Employment Security, a federally funded agency responsible for administering unemployment insurance benefits and employment services to Illinoisans, prioritizing our state’s military veterans. She was then appointed to the role of Chief Operating Officer at the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, the agency serving as the administrative hub of our state government.
Born in Chicago and raised in the south suburbs, Liz and husband Gerry Sullivan, a retired NFL veteran, currently reside in Chicago’s 44th Ward. After Gerry was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s stemming from concussive blows to the head sustained in football, Liz became a leading advocate for the families of contact sport athletes and military veterans suffering the long-term effects of untreated & undiagnosed head injuries and traumatic brain damage.
As a trusted voice for the brain injured, Liz was tapped to serve on the National Boards of the Concussion Legacy Foundation/Boston University CTE Brain Bank, Mike Ditka’s Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, and After the Impact Fund, as well as countless advocacy and awareness campaigns. Liz also led grassroots efforts to ensure sick players and their families received disability and health benefits per their collective bargaining rights. As a leading voice for members of the NFL plaintiff class during contentious negotiations with the NFL, Liz fought for nearly a decade to ensure a fair and just settlement was reached on behalf of sick and injured retirees in the NFL Concussion lawsuit, one of the largest, most complex mass tort cases ever settled.
