About

State Representative Jackie Haas has been serving the residents of Illinois’ 79th House District since December 2020. Her district includes Kankakee, Will, Cook, and Grundy Counties. With a lifelong commitment to advocating for the most vulnerable, Jackie has established herself as a dedicated public servant and community leader.

Raised in Momence, Illinois, Jackie attended St. Patrick’s Grade School and Bishop McNamara High School. She went on to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Valparaiso University and her Master’s degree in Social Work with a specialization in mental health from the University of Illinois at Chicago, Jane Addams School of Social Work.

For over 30 years, Jackie has served her community as a social worker, focusing on helping underserved populations and advocating for those who cannot speak for themselves. In 1994, she joined the Helen Wheeler Center for Community Mental Health and became the organization’s CEO in 2000. Her leadership has been instrumental in expanding health care, economic opportunity, and early childhood development throughout the community. Additionally, she has experience on the Kankakee County Board, where she served from 2018 to 2020, giving her insight into both administrative and legislative aspects of government.

Jackie continues to serve as the CEO of the Helen Wheeler Center and remains actively involved in several community-based coalitions, local boards of directors, and community collaborations. She also has experience working as a social worker at Riverside Medical Center.

As a State Representative, Jackie is committed to promoting good government reforms, balancing the state budget, enhancing educational opportunities, and expanding mental health services to underserved areas. Her committee assignments reflect her dedication to these issues, as she serves on the Appropriations-Health & Human Services Committee, the Health Care Availability & Access Committee (where she is the Republican Spokesperson), the Human Services Committee, the Mental Health & Addiction Committee (where she is also the Republican Spokesperson), the Prescription Drug Affordability Committee, and two subcommittees: the Special Issues Subcommittee and the Human Needs Subcommittee. Representative Haas also serves on JCAR, the Medicaid Workgroup, is the chair for the Republican caucus Women & Families workgroup, and was appointed to the Republican Caucus Leadership Team by Minority Leader McCombie.

Jackie and her husband Bill have been married for 31 years and reside in Bourbonnais, where they raised their two children. Her deep roots in the community and her ongoing commitment to public service make her a dedicated and effective representative for the 79th District.