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Ronald Gidwitz

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Ronald Gidwitz
official portrait, 2020
Acting United States Ambassador to the European Union
In office
May 4, 2020 – January 20, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byGordon Sondland
Succeeded byMark Gitenstein
United States Ambassador to Belgium
In office
July 4, 2018 – January 20, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byDenise Bauer
Succeeded byMichael M. Adler
Nicholas Berliner (acting)
Chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education
In office
April 1999 – April 18, 2003
Appointed byGeorge Ryan
Preceded byLou Mervis[1]
Succeeded byJanet Steiner[2][3]
Chairman of the Board of City Colleges of Chicago
In office
October 2, 1991 – 1999
Appointed byRichard M. Daley
Preceded byReynaldo Glover
Personal details
Born (1945-03-28) March 28, 1945 (age 79)
Political partyRepublican
Children2
Parent
EducationBrown University (BA)

Ronald J. Gidwitz (born March 28, 1945) is an American businessman, diplomat, and political candidate who served as United States Ambassador to Belgium, while also serving as acting United States Ambassador to the European Union.[4][5]

Gidwitz is the son of prominent Chicago businessman Gerald Gidwitz. Gidwtiz served as president and CEO of Helene Curtis Industries, which was sold to Unilever in 1996. In 1998, Gidwitz co-founded the private equity firm GCG Partners, in which he served as a partner.

In terms of public-sector and political activities, in addition to serving as ambassador, Gidwitz held the positions of chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education from 1999 through 2003 and chairman of the Board of City Colleges of Chicago from 1991 through 1999. He ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for governor of Illinois in 2006. Gidwitz worked as the Illinois state chair for Rudy Giuliani's 2008 presidential campaign, the Illinois state finance chair for Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, and chaired both Kirk Dillard's unsuccessful 2010 Illinois gubernatorial campaign and Bruce Rauner's successful 2014 Illinois gubernatorial campaign. He also worked as finance chair for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Gidwitz has also been involved with political advocacy organizations. In addition to his private sector and political work, Gidwitz had been involved in philanthropic and nonprofit activities.

Education

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Gidwitz earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Brown University.

Business career

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Gidwitz served as president and CEO of Helene Curtis Industries, which was sold to Unilever in 1996.[6] He served as its CEO from 1979 through 1998.[7] Since 1998, he has been a co-founder and partner at the private equity firm, GCG Partners, and serves as a regional chairman for Business Executives for National Security in Chicago.[8] Gidwitz's family owns a majority stake in Continental Materials Corp., which Gidwitz resigned from the board of when he became ambassador.[9]

For many years, a company controlled by Gidwitz and his cousin Ralph owned the Evergreen Terrace housing project in Joliet, Illinois, a 356-unit complex of high-rise apartments where 90% of tenants were families with young African-American single mothers. Their management of the complex attracted strong criticism, including from then-Senator Barack Obama. There were descriptions made of “inhumane conditions” and an overwhelming stench of urine in the complex. The mayor of Joliet described the complex as “unsafe and dangerous, a public nuisance and a blighted area”. A judge declared that the standards were “deplorable”. Gidwitz, in court, blamed the City of Joliet, claiming that they had repeatedly blocked attempts to secure federal financing for improvements.[10] He especially noted his frustration in being turned down by the city in his effort to improve security—one of the main issues the same city had questioned.[11]

Political career

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City of Chicago positions

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Mayor Harold Washington appointed Gidwitz the Chairman of the Chicago Economic Development Commission.[12] He retained this position during the mayoralty of Eugene Sawyer.[6] Gidwitz was appointed chairman of the Board of City Colleges of Chicago by mayor Richard M. Daley in 1991.[13] He was confirmed by the Chicago City Council on October 2, 1991.[14] He replaced previous CCC chairman Reynaldo Glover.[15] His appointment was seen as an effort by Daley to involve the business community in the city's education reform.[16] His tenure ended when he resigned on April 14, 1999, amid a power struggle with the new chancellor Wayne Watson.[17] Gidwitz's tenure was highly criticized by faculty in the system.[13] Between 1991 and 1995, the system lost $50 million in high-risk investments.[13]

Chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education

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Gidwitz was appointed a member of the Illinois State Board of Education in 1999.[18] Gidwitz soon became chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education in April 1999, having been nominated by Governor George Ryan.[17][19]

In 1999, early into his tenure as chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education, Gidwitz made comments about the state's mathematics score on standardized testing, which accused the state's public school teachers of being inadequately trained on providing instruction on the subject. Superintendents of many school districts took issue to his remarks, with Paul Vallas (the CEO of Chicago Public Schools) remarking on Gidwitz, "he's not a supporter of public education, and he has a low opinion of teachers and schools in general."[20]

Having again been nominated by Governor George Ryan, Gidwitz was reconfirmed by the Illinois Senate on November 14, 2001, to continue to serve as chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education.[21] His term as board president expired on April 18, 2003.[21][22] He continued to serve as a member of the board until the following year.[18]

2006 gubernatorial campaign

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See also: 2006 Illinois gubernatorial election

Gidwitz was a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor of Illinois in the 2006 election.[23] He came in fourth place, having been defeated by Judy Baar Topinka.[24] Democratic incumbent Rod Blagojevich would go on to win the general election.[25]

Gidwitz spent $5.3 million of his own funds on the campaign, which was (at the time) a record amount of self-financing for an Illinois gubernatorial campaign. This would not surpassed until Bruce Rauner's 2014 campaign.[26][27] Gidwitz co-endorsed and jointly campaigned with State Senator Steve Rauschenberger as his preferred choice of runningmate. The lieutnant gubernatorial nominee was selected by voters in the coinciding lieutenant gubernatorial primary (which was held sperately from the gubernatorial primary).[28]

Lacking name recognition, his campaign spent large sums on early advertising in media markets such as Quincy.[29] His campaign would later run attack ads against Topinka, which characterized her as supportive of large government spending and being unsuited for bringing reforms to the state government.[30]

Gidwitz received the endorsement of the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune.[28]

Ambassadorship

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In May 2018, he was nominated to become the Trump administration's Ambassador to Belgium. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 28, 2018.[31] He presented his credentials to King Philippe on July 4, 2018.[4]

On May 4, Trump named Gidwitz to additionally serve as the interim ambassador to the European Union, replacing Gordon Sondland (who had been fired the previous month after having provided testimony for the impeachment inquiry into Trump).[32]

Other political work

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In February 2003, Gidwitz founded the advocacy group Students First Illinois.[33]

In 2008, Gidwitz and Greg Baise formed the Economic Freedom Alliance, a 527 organization, to oppose the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act.[34]

Gidwitz was the Illinois co-chair of Rudy Giuliani's 2008 presidential campaign.[33] In the early stages of the Republican primaries for the 2016 presidential election, Gidwitz was a supporter of the candidacy of Jeb Bush.[6] Gidwitz subsequently gave his support to the campaign of Donald Trump, and served as Trump's Illinois campaign finance chairman.[35][6] In the summer of 2016, Gidwitz met with Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus to urge him to pressure Trump into being more discplined in his messaging against Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. On October 31, 2016, Gidwitz organized a meeting at Trump International Hotel and Tower Chicago between Trump and wealthy Republican donors.[6]

Gidwitz served as campaign chairman and finance chair of Kirk Dillard's unsuccessful 2010 Illinois gubernatorial campaign.[36][37] Gidwitz served as campaign co-chair and finance chair for Bruce Rauner's successful 2014 bid for Illinois governor.[35][38] He was a key early supporter of Rauner's campaign,[39] and ultimately contributed $55,300 in funding to support Rauner's campaign.[6]

By 2016, Gidwitz had established himself as one of the Republican Party's largest Illinois campaign donors.[40] He gave large amounts to Republican national campaigns. In 2016 alone, he gave $700,000 to Trump, pro-Trump PACs, Republican House and Senate candidates, and national Republican organizations. He also gave to state and local Republicans in Illinois. From 1991 through 2016, he gave $1.3 million in contributions to Republican state and local candidates, party organizations, and causes.[6]

In 2022, Gidwitz served as finance chair for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. He continued to work with the committee in 2024, and attended the 2024 Republican National Convention to asssist its fundraising efforts.[40] In the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries, Gidwitz endorsed former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.[41]

Nonprofit work

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During his business career, Gidwitz devoted a portion of his time to philanthropic activities. He was Chair of the Field Museum of Natural History Board of Trustees, and the Economic Development Commission of Chicago. Gidwitz also served on the boards of the Council for Aid to Education, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, National Board of the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Science and Industry, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and the founding Chair of the Chicago Chapter of Business Executives for National Security. In 2006, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America bestowed him with the Herbert Hoover Humanitarian Award for his ‘extraordinary service to the organization and the nation's youth.’ In 2014, the Chicago History Museum gave him the Bertha Honoré Palmer Making History Award for Distinction in Civic Leadership.[42] His leadership in promoting better educational opportunities resulted in Gidwitz receiving the National Association of State Boards of Education's Distinguished Service Award in 2003.[43]

Since 2013, Gidwitz has served as chairman emeritus of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.[8]

Personal life

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Gidwitz is the son of prominent Chicago businessman, Gerald Gidwitz. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Christina Gidwitz (née Kemper), and two sons. His wife Christina's father was the late James S. Kemper.[44]

References

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  1. ^ O'Connor, John (April 16, 1999). "Governor appoints members of state education board". Newspapers.com. Daily Republican-Register (Mount Carmel, Illinois). The Associated Press. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  2. ^ "IASB School Board News Bulletin: May, 2003". archives.iasb.com. Illinois Association of School Boards. May 2003. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  3. ^ "EAST ST. LOUIS BOARD OF EDUCATION AND ISBE JOIN TOGETHER". Illinois State Board of Education. June 9, 2004. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  4. ^ a b U.S. Embassy in Belgium. "U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium Ronald J. Gidwitz". Archived from the original on June 11, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  5. ^ Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State, Designation of Ambassador Ronald J. Gidwitz as Acting Representative of the United States to the European Union, press statement of the U.S. Department of State, May 4, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Pearson, Rick (May 18, 2018). "Trump Nominates His Illinois Campaign Finance Chair As Ambassador to Belgium". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  7. ^ Timothy J., Gilfoyle (Winter 2018). "Chicago's Global Entrepreneurs: Making History Interviews with John Canning and Ronald Gidwitz". Loyola University Chicago. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  8. ^ a b Bloomberg. "Ronald "Ron" Gidwitz". Bloomberg News. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  9. ^ Robert, Benincasa (April 20, 2020). "Company With Ties To Trump Receives Millions From Small Business Loan Program". NPR. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  10. ^ Boffey, Daniel; Swaine, Jon (May 22, 2018). "Trump backer who owned 'inhumane' housing picked to be Belgium envoy". The Guardian. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  11. ^ Gidwitz, Ron (May 2, 2017). "Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune.
  12. ^ Kozubowski, Walter (City Clerk) (March 25, 1986). "Regular Meeting: Tuesday, March 25, 1986" (PDF). Chicago City Council Journal of Proceedings. p. 28671. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c Joravsky, Ben (July 27, 1995). "Grading Gidwitz: City Colleges faculty gives him an F". Chicago Reader. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  14. ^ "Appointment of Mr. Ronald J. Gidwitz as a Member of the Board of Trustees of Community College District No. 508" (PDF). Journal of Proceedings: 6052. October 2, 1991. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  15. ^ Hill, James (September 11, 1991). "City Colleges board chief Glover steps down". Chicago Tribune. p. NA3 – via ProQuest.
  16. ^ Washburn, Gary; Martinez, Michael (April 15, 1999). "Gidwitz quits City Colleges Board". Newspapers.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  17. ^ a b Washburn, Gary; Martinez, Michael (April 15, 1999). "GIDWITZ QUITS CITY COLLEGES BOARD". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  18. ^ a b Cates, Kristen (January 25, 2005). "RON GIDWITZ ANNOUNCES PLANS TO RUN FOR GOVERNOR". The Southern. Retrieved June 4, 2020.[permanent dead link‍]
  19. ^ "STATEMENT OF ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION CHAIRMAN RONALD J. GIDWITZ". Illinois State Board of Education. April 18, 2003. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  20. ^ Hetzner, Amy (October 14, 1999). "Controversial State Board chairman not afraid to step on toes". Newspapers.com. Southtown Star (Tinley Park, Illinois). Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  21. ^ a b "STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT" (PDF). Illinois General Assembly. November 14, 2001. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  22. ^ Gidwitz, Ronald J. "STATEMENT OF ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION CHAIRMAN RONALD J. GIDWITZ". Illinois State Board of Education. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  23. ^ OurCampaigns.com. "Gidwitz, Ronald". Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  24. ^ Illinois State Board of Election. "Election Results". Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  25. ^ Chicago Sun Times. "Trump nominates Chicago businessman Ron Gidwitz As Ambassador to Belgium". Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  26. ^ Luzer, Daniel (March 6, 2014). "Venture Capitalist Running a Very Expensive Campaign for Governor of Illinois". Governing. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  27. ^ Dunn-Thomason, Jamey (May 1, 2014). "Big Money: The Rauner vs. Quinn Race Looks Like a Sure Bet to Make Campaign Spending Records". NPR Illinois. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  28. ^ a b "For the GOP: Ron Gidwitz". Chicago Tribune. March 5, 2006.
  29. ^ "Gidwitz Gubernatorial Campaign Has Spent Nearly $33,000 Locally". Herald-Whig. January 28, 2006. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  30. ^ Hint, Gregory (February 14, 2006). "Gidwitz Ads Take Aim at Topinka". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  31. ^ U.S. Congress (June 28, 2018). "PN2027 — Ronald Gidwitz — Department of State". Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  32. ^ Kelly, Laura (May 4, 2020). "Trump names new EU envoy, filling post left vacant by impeachment witness Sondland". The Hill. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  33. ^ a b "Rudy Giuliani-Illinois Organization". p2008.org. December 27, 2007. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  34. ^ "Greg Baise - City Club of Chicago". www.cityclub-chicago.org. City Club of Chicago. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  35. ^ a b Muck, Jordan (July 2, 2018). "Super PAC tied to Trump's Illinois Campaign Finance Chair Jumps into Race for Governor". WGN-TV. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  36. ^ "Gidwitz picks Rauner over Dillard for 2014". Illinois Review. July 17, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  37. ^ "Illinois Gubernatorial Odds: State Fair Edition". NBC Chicago. August 15, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  38. ^ "Millionaires for Bruce Rauner". NBC Chicago. July 18, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  39. ^ Vinicky, Amanda (January 13, 2015). "Capitol Insiders Provide Insight for Governor Bruce Rauner". Illinois Public Media. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  40. ^ a b "Will the Assassination Attempt Change Trump? We'll See On Thursday". Chicago Sun-Times. July 17, 2024. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  41. ^ Kapos, Shia (July 21, 2023). "GOP stalwart Ron Gidwitz backs Chris Christie". Politico. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  42. ^ Gidwitz, Ron (January 20, 2018). "Loyola University eCommons Chicago Global Entrepreneurs". Loyola University eCommons.
  43. ^ Gidwitz, Ron (October 17, 2003). "Distinguished Service Award for Ron Gidwitz". Illinois State Board of Education.
  44. ^ Spirou, Costas; Judd, Dennis R. (2016). Building the City of Spectacle: Mayor Richard M. Daley and the Remaking of Chicago. Cornell University Press. p. 128. ISBN 978-1-5017-0683-7. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
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Media related to Ronald J. Gidwitz at Wikimedia Commons

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Belgium
2018–2021 		Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Ambassador to the European Union
Acting
2020–2021 		Succeeded by
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