John (Hal) Coxon is President of Northern Illinois Consulting, a successful marketing and public relations company that includes a robust list of successful companies in a variety of business categories.

Hal has a distinguished list of service to the community that extends for more than twenty-five years. He has served as Vice-President on the Board of Directors for both the Lake County Chamber of Commerce and the GLMV Chamber of Commerce... and on the Board of Directors for the Lake County, Illinois, Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Hal has a passionate commitment to serving every segment of the community and has frequently been recognized for his work to advance opportunities for minorities. In 2006, he was inducted as a Charter Member into the Lake County Civil Rights Hall of Fame. In January 2007, Hal earned the Freedom Award, recognized as one of Lake County’s Most Influential African-Americans.

Hal is active in various business, civic and social service organizations, including La Coalición Latinos Unidos de Lake County, and is a Member of the Citizens Advisory Board for the University Center of Lake County.

In addition to his community outreach, Hal has moderated a number of high-profile political contests. Recent examples include 2008 election in 30th District for State Senator and the 60th District for State Representative. Previous forums include the 2006 Republican Primary race for Governor of Illinois and several key Congressional elections, including Illinois’ 8th Congressional District contest in both 2004 and 2006 – nationally-targeted races for both Democrats and Republicans. Hal also hosted a debate in the 2004 Democratic Primary race for United States Senator, where one of the candidates was Presidential hopeful Barack Obama.