Speaker

Mark Denzler

Mark Denzler is President & Chief Executive Officer of the Illinois Manufacturers’
Association (IMA), a statewide advocacy organization representing nearly 4,000 member companies and facilities. Denzler was named to his current post in January 2019 after serving a dozen years as Vice President & COO. He’s a visionary non-profit board leader, award-winning manufacturing and business leader, and respected political and legislative expert. Under his leadership, the IMA earned numerous awards recognizing their advocacy and effectiveness while growing exponentially.
Founded in 1893, the IMA is the oldest and largest statewide manufacturing association in the United States and the only statewide organization dedicated exclusively to
manufacturing. Its mission is to strengthen, advocate, and promote the business climate
for all manufacturers in Illinois. The IMA is BOLDY MOVING MAKERS FORWARD. Denzler led the IMA’s numerous milestones achievements including:
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Awarded the 2023 “Golden Horseshoe” as the “Best In-House Lobbyist” by Capitol Fax, the state’s pre-eminent political newsletter.
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IMA was named the inaugural winner of the COSMA Leadership Award as the best manufacturing association in the United States (2022)
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The IMA was named “One of 100 Associations Saving the World” in 2021 by the American Society of Association Executives
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The IMA received the prestigious “Corporate Champion” award in 2024 from mHUB.
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Earned the “Partner in Collaborative Innovation” from the Manufacturing Leadership Council in 2025.
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Creation of the Manufacturing Matters economic impact campaign
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Launched Makers Madness – The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois contest
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Created “Makers on the Move” – an annual statewide bus tour showcasing Illinois manufacturing
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Initiated successful creation of new best-in-class Manufacturing Academies
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Championed passaged of the MICRO Act and REV-EDGE incentives
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Permanent and modern Manufacturers Purchase Credit
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New Apprenticeship credit to help manufacturers address the skills gap
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Long-term, twenty-five year extension of the successful Enterprise Zone program
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Significant reform of the Workers’ Compensation Act
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Extension of the Research & Development tax credit
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Rewrite of the Unemployment Insurance Act eliminating $4.5 billion in debt

Prior to the IMA, Denzler served in various posts including overseeing Illinois government affairs for State Farm Insurance, a Fortune 50 company headquartered in Bloomington. He served as director of government affairs for the IMA and was a legislative analyst in the General Assembly focusing on taxes, education and transportation. Denzler acted as caucus liaison to Governor Edgar’s Ikenberry Commission on School Funding.
Denzler was appointed by Governors Pat Quinn, Bruce Rauner, and JB Pritzker to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Advisory Board. He is a gubernatorial appointee to the Illinois Department of Security Advisory Board and an inaugural appointee to former Secretary of State Jesse White’s Ethics Board.
He currently sits on several boards including the National Association of Manufacturers, Intersect Illinois, Edgar Fellows, and Illinois Humanities along with the Board of Trustees for Illinois Wesleyan University. Mark is the immediate past board chair of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Illinois and previously sat on the Board of Directors for the Midwest affiliate of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Lincoln Public Library, President of the Lincoln Library Foundation. Denzler serves on the Executive Committee as Vice Chair of the Council of State Manufacturing Associations. He was a 2015 selection as an Edgar Fellow at the University of Illinois and a graduate of the inaugural class (2015) of the Crain’s Chicago Business Leadership Academy. In 2018, Denzler was inducted into the Gove Hall of Fame at the University of Illinois-Springfield.
Denzler is a private pilot who lives in Springfield with his wife Debbi.