Kane County Coroner Rob Russell has been elected president of the Illinois Coroners and Medical Examiner Association.

Rob Russell

The unanimous vote occurred at the ICMEA annual fall training conference.

“I am very humbled and honored to be trusted with this opportunity and look forward to working with the members by continuing the great work these members have done,” Russell said. “We all realize the tremendous moral responsibility we have in serving our public, typically under dire circumstances. We do not take that lightly, and we have no other agenda other than that.”

The ICMEA is comprised of all 101 county coroners and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Department. According to its website, the ICMEA is a not-for-profit corporation for the purpose of uniting the members of the organization and upgrading the office of coroner and professionalizing it through the exchange of ideas and development of educational programs.

“When you become elected as a coroner in this state, we are not Democrats or Republicans, Green Party or others,” Russell said. “This organization has always operated in a collaborative manner. We serve everybody and respect the outcome of the political process.”

Russell said that, as ICMEA president, he hopes to encourage other jurisdictions to become accredited, noting that Kane County is the first accredited coroner’s office in the state. Cook County recently obtained accredited status, while Lake, Kendall, DuPage and others at various stages of the process of accreditation.

Russell’s term as president is one year.

SOURCE: ICMEA news release