Champaign Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen Receives 2026 Simon-Edgar Award

Deborah Frank Feinen, the mayor of Champaign, Illinois, was selected as the recipient of the 2026 Paul Simon-Jim Edgar Statesmanship Award for her years of hands-on, forward-looking leadership

Now in her third term as mayor, Feinen’s journey in Champaign city government started in 2006 when she joined the city council as an at-large member. Feinen served three terms before winning the mayor’s seat in 2015. Feinen previously spent 14 years on the Champaign County Board, where she became known for consensus building and innovative thinking.

Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, who now leads the Edgar Fellows Program, and Dr. Linda Baker from Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, announced Feinen’s selection at the annual dinner of the Edgar Fellows program in Champaign on Aug. 4.

During her time as mayor, Feinen:

• Served as Illinois Municipal League president in 2024–2025.
• Was selected for the prestigious Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative Class of 2021, a national leadership program for mayors.
• Led the push to establish Champaign’s Equity Engagement Department, which added mental health co-responder services, and developed a Homelessness Prevention Blueprint to assist the city’s unhoused residents.
• Simplified the permit process for new developments, pushed for tax increment financing (TIF) districts, and championed business-friendly policies.
• Oversaw large infrastructure projects, including the Garden Hills Drainage Project, the reconstruction of Kirby Avenue Bridge, and the first phase of the Downtown Plaza.
• Received the Athena Award, given by Champaign County Chamber of Commerce for her professional skill, community service, and leadership