Maria Antonia Berrios
Encyclopedia
Maria Antonia "Toni" Berrios is a Democratic
member of the Illinois House of Representatives
. She has represented the 39th District since 2003. Berrios is the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in the Illinois House.
As a state representative, Berrios' top priorities are to improve education and the quality of family life in her district and throughout Illinois. She has focused on issues that increase the well-being of children, seniors and working families. She strongly supports after school programs, affordable housing, initiatives that reduce crime and better health care for everyone.
In Springfield, Berrios serves on six committees. She is the Chairperson of the Biotechnology Committee. Vice Chairperson of the Infrastructure Committee and is the only female member of the Executive Committee. She is also a member of the Insurance Committee, Mass Transit and the International Trade & Commerce Committee. In addition, Berrios serves as Co-chair for the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus.
The representative is currently working on a Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in International Business degree from Keiser University. Berrios is a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University with a Board of Governor’s Degree. She holds an Illinois Life Insurance License and a Certificate of Completion from the Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development, conducted by The Council of State Governments Midwestern Office in cooperation with The Robert M. LaFollette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Berrios was also chosen among legislators across the nation to participate in the Foreign Policy Institute for State Legislators conducted by the Center for Women Policy Studies and the American Council of Young Political Leaders. Berrios is also a part of the National Foundation for Women Legislators and serves in a leadership position of Secretary for the Board of Hispanic Caucus Chairs.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the Illinois House of Representatives
Illinois House of Representatives
The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The state House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from...
. She has represented the 39th District since 2003. Berrios is the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in the Illinois House.
Early career
Before her election in 2002, she worked with the Illinois Liquor Control Commission on improving the health of the state’s residents. She has also worked with Secretary of State Jesse White when he was the Cook County Recorder of Deeds. Berrios became the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in the Illinois House of Representatives and is at present the legislature’s youngest Hispanic.Springfield
Maria Antonia "Toni" Berrios is serving her fifth term in the Illinois General Assembly as the 39th District State Representative. Her district on Chicago’s Northwest Side includes parts of the Avondale, Belmont Cragin, Hermosa, and Logan Square neighborhoods.As a state representative, Berrios' top priorities are to improve education and the quality of family life in her district and throughout Illinois. She has focused on issues that increase the well-being of children, seniors and working families. She strongly supports after school programs, affordable housing, initiatives that reduce crime and better health care for everyone.
In Springfield, Berrios serves on six committees. She is the Chairperson of the Biotechnology Committee. Vice Chairperson of the Infrastructure Committee and is the only female member of the Executive Committee. She is also a member of the Insurance Committee, Mass Transit and the International Trade & Commerce Committee. In addition, Berrios serves as Co-chair for the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus.
Personal
Berrios has always been an active member of her community, volunteering her time over the years with various organizations and events, including the Young Democrats of Cook County. She served on the Board of Directors of the Girl Scouts of Chicago. Berrios serves on the Board of Directors of Child’s Play Touring Theatre, a premiere theater company in the United States which for more than a quarter of a century has dedicated itself to exclusively performing works written by children. She also sits on the Board of Tabula Rasa. Tabula Rasa is just getting its start and will provide a holistic transitional living initiative where young men will go to grow and develop into responsible positive adults. She is also a member of the National Association of Professional Women.The representative is currently working on a Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in International Business degree from Keiser University. Berrios is a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University with a Board of Governor’s Degree. She holds an Illinois Life Insurance License and a Certificate of Completion from the Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development, conducted by The Council of State Governments Midwestern Office in cooperation with The Robert M. LaFollette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Berrios was also chosen among legislators across the nation to participate in the Foreign Policy Institute for State Legislators conducted by the Center for Women Policy Studies and the American Council of Young Political Leaders. Berrios is also a part of the National Foundation for Women Legislators and serves in a leadership position of Secretary for the Board of Hispanic Caucus Chairs.