Reitan, Carol

Carol Reitan holds a place in history as the only woman to ever serve as Mayor of Normal, but her longtime community leadership and influence extends well beyond the town hall.

Carol was born on October 25, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois to Emil and Carolyn Rylander. Carol attended DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana and moved to Normal, Illinois in 1955 to work at Illinois State University as an instructor of social psychology and as a residence hall director. She continued to teach over the years at ISU, Illinois Wesleyan University, and Eureka College even as she began a career as an entrepreneur, politician, and advocate for the arts and local at-risk populations. She married Earl Reitan in 1956 and the couple had two children, Thomas and Julia.

Her professional resume includes founding a public relations company, running a consulting firm for energy efficient home design, and serving as the director and CEO of Mid Central Community Action until 1995 when she retired. She served on the McLean County Regional Planning Commission (1964-1966), ran unsuccessfully for the Illinois State Senate in 1976 and 1978, and eventually was elected mayor of Normal, serving from 1972 to 1976. She helped modernize the town’s administration by introducing the city manager style of government that is still in use today. Carol helped reform town codes and lead the town to build its first city hall and library buildings designed for those purposes. She worked hard to move the town forward and think about how things should be. She wasn’t afraid of a fight and helped Normal to become a modern city. Later in 1990, she would chair the Normal 2015 Committee to help the town set goals for the next 25 years.