Who am I?

Thank you for taking the time to read this short biography. My name is Chris Hogue and I am a life long resident of Pekin. I am also a generational Pekinite dating back to the mid-1800s when my family immigrated from Germany to Pekin at a time when Pekin's northside had a heavy German population. My wife and I have been married for 11 years and she also grew up in the area. Along with attending Pekin schools myself we currently have 3 children in District 108. I graduated Illinois Central College with two Associates Degrees at different times, one in Automotive Technology and one in Fire Science. I used my automotive degree fresh out of college at a few local shops in town that have since closed, and I was the Store Manager of the Autozone on Court St. Shortly after my first stint of college, in 2011, I started volunteering my time at a local Volunteer Fire Department. I quickly grew to love the knowledge and skills that come with being a firefighter and decided to pursue a career change. I received my EMT license in 2013 and my Paramedic License in 2017. I worked full time at the local ambulance company, as well as part time at a few other local communities, until I was hired as a full time Firefighter in 2017. I have continued my role as a Firefighter while taking on other internal roles that have given me training and skills outside of my primary role. I have sat on several committees and boards including, Candidate hiring committee member, Treasurer of the Foreign Fire Insurance Fund, President of the Pekin Fire PAC, Shift Steward and Executive Board Member for Pekin Firefighters Local 524, as well as a member of the Political Education Committee for the Associated Firefighters of Illinois. I hope to bring my experience and sense of community to the Pekin City Council in 2025.