Guest Speaker
KaM Buckner
Kam Buckner serves as Speaker Pro Tempore of the Illinois House of Representatives and is a key budget negotiator for the Illinois House, helping shape the state's $55 billion budget. A proud native of Chicago’s South Side, he is the son of a law enforcement officer and a Chicago Public Schools teacher.
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Since 2019, Kam has had the honor of representing the 26th Legislative District, which spans some of Chicago’s most iconic neighborhoods, including South Shore, Hyde Park, Bronzeville, Downtown, River North, and the Gold Coast. Over the course of his tenure, he has taken on leadership roles as House Black Caucus Chair, Majority Whip, Assistant Majority Leader, and now Speaker Pro Tempore.
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Kam serves on several key committees, including Judiciary and Revenue, and is the founding Chair of the Lakeshore Caucus, a bipartisan, bicameral group focused on protecting Lake Michigan and tackling critical environmental issues.
He played a pivotal role in securing an elected representative school board for Chicago and was a chief negotiator on the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act—one of the most ambitious clean energy laws in U.S. history. Kam also made history as the first legislator in the Midwest to pass a law banning untraceable ghost guns.
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Beyond the legislature, Kam has dedicated his career to public service and community impact. He previously led World Sport Chicago, serving more than 20,000 young people across the city, and worked in Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs front office. His experience spans government at multiple levels, having served on the staffs of New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.
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A passionate advocate for education, Kam has taught Public Policy at the University of Chicago. He holds a B.A. from the University of Illinois and a J.D. from DePaul University. Today, he lives in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood with his wife and children, continuing to fight for a stronger, more equitable future.
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Our Mission
The Jerome Burke Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the African American community by improving the economic opportunities of African American men through scholarship, mentoring, and entrepreneurial support. The Foundation partners with nonprofit organizations whose mission is to optimize the innate strengths of the African American community.