Joe Chiarelli was born and raised in Winnebago County. He is the son of a small business owner and spent many years working with his father at Vince the Tailor the family tailoring business. As a small business owner for over 20 years Joe learned a lot about service to others and the importance of treating people with respect and honesty.

That basic philosophy coupled with Joe’s love of community and the people within it has led to many business successes and success in his service to his community. Over a decade ago Joe served on the Rockford Zoning Board of Appeals and then later on the Winnebago County Zoning Board of Appeals. His years of service on those boards were full of challenges and problem solving as well as many interactions with elected officials of all levels. His service on those boards is where Joe learned the value of making good decisions that impact the quality of life of the people he served.

Joe’s combined experience and skills led him to run for Rockford Alderman in 2013. Joe is currently serving his second term. As an Alderman Joe has been at the forefront of every major issue facing the city of Rockford since 2013. Joe is well respected among his colleagues for his ability to work through problems and create solutions. Joe has served as Chairman of the codes and regulations committee for the last 7 years. Joe decided to run for Winnebago County Board Chairman in the spring of 2019 based on the encouragement by many elected officials and community leaders who believe his approach to government would be a needed asset to county government. Joe has pledged to work with the County Board, elected officials and all of the parties involved in issues facing our county.

Joe lives in Rockford and has been married for 35 years to his wife Connie. Together they have two adult children Claudia and Vince and daughter in-law Shayna. Their grandson Joseph is the next generation for the Chiarelli family and is a major motivating factor in Joe’s commitment to Winnebago County.