About Dan Patlak
Dan Patlak was sworn in to a two year term as a Commissioner of the Cook County Board of Review on December 6, 2010. Patlak’s defeat of the incumbent commissioner was the first time a Republican defeated a sitting Cook County level Democrat in fifteen years. He was re-elected in 2012 and again in 2016 and will run for election again in 2020. Patlak is fulfilling his pledge to work as the first ever full-time commissioner at the Board.
After graduating from Valparaiso University with a Bachelors degree in Business Administration, Dan Patlak began his professional career as a real estate Broker in the near north suburbs of Chicago in 1986 and continued in that capacity until 1995. He is a Graduate of the Real Estate Institute (GRI) and has been a member of the National and Illinois Realtors Associations for more than thirty-four years. As a volunteer coordinator for Citizens Against Government Waste from 1992 to 1994 Dan Patlak organized “Taxpayer Action Day Rallies” in successive years at the Kluzinski Federal Building and the Daley Plaza to draw attention to wasteful government spending. He also testified before the Cook County Board in 1992 in opposition to the original $.75 county sales tax.
Mr. Patlak was employed at the Cook County Board of Review from January 1999 to December 2006. He served as a property assessment appeal analyst for Commissioner Maureen Murphy specializing in residential, commercial apartment and exempt properties. In addition, Dan represented the Board of Review at over 500 Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board (PTAB) oral hearings. Maureen Murphy’s office conducted over 300 Property Assessment Appeal Seminars during her eight years in office. Mr. Patlak served as her surrogate speaker at more than 60 of those seminars. Patlak also served as Murphy’s Public Information Officer fielding media inquiries, writing letters to the editor, arranging press conferences, scheduling public appearances and helping write the Board’s Annual Report.
After completing advanced courses in property appraisal required to become a Certified Illinois Assessing Officer, Dan was elected Assessor of Wheeling Township in 2005 and re-elected in 2009. He is a member of the International Association of Assessing Officers. Dan also was an elected Board Member of East Maine School District #63 in the mid-90’s.
He is a Parishioner and Lector at St. Joseph the Worker Church and a 4th degree Knight of Columbus. Dan resides in the Village of Wheeling with his wife Dulce and nineteen year old son Teddy.