25-Year Secretary Of State Employee Honored With National Award

Springfield, IL-(Effingham Radio)- Disability Advocate Bill Bogdan Honored by United Spinal Association in Washington

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias with Bill Bogdan, who recently received the United Spinal Association’s 2025 Finn Bullers Advocate of the Year Award.
Illinois Secretary of State employee William “Bill” Bogdan recently received the United Spinal Association’s 2025 Finn Bullers Advocate of the Year Award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Bogdan has served more than 25 years as the Disability Liaison at the Secretary of State’s office, coordinating programs and services with the disability community and shaping the state’s Parking Program for Persons with Disabilities.

“I’m truly honored to be recognized by my peers and the United Spinal Association for such a prestigious honor,” said Bogdan, who resides in Mokena and grew up in South Holland. “Some may just see this program as just parking spaces, but it’s vital to our independence. Illinois has worked hard to build a program that adequately respects and serves the disability community.”

“All of us at the Secretary of State’s office are so proud of Bill for receiving the national recognition he deserves,” said Secretary Alexi Giannoulias. “Bill is a tireless champion for Illinoisans, and the state would not have such a robust and well-respected program without his contributions.”

The United Spinal Association’s Finn Bullers Advocate of the Year Award is named in honor of Finn Bullers, a longtime reporter with the Kansas City Star who championed the Accessible Icon Project, which led to the traditional symbol for disability. The United Spinal Association presents the award annually to deserving member advocates at the Roll-on Capitol Hill (ROCH) advocacy event in Washington.

The State of Illinois’ Persons with Disabilities Parking Program is a multi-tiered system that allows for greater access to benefits depending on an individual’s need. For example, Illinois is one of the only states to offer qualified individuals a parking meter exempt placard.

The program is also one of only a handful in the nation to enable law enforcement to verify that only certified individuals are using parking placards. To prevent fraud and abuse, the state does not allow permanent non-expiring placards, which have commonly lead to misuse in other states.

Bogdan has partnered with the U.S. Department of Transportation to assist in creating national standards for parking placards modeled after the Illinois program.

Bogdan is excited to continue his advocacy work by helping to pass SB 253, a bill that seeks to bring tax fairness for individuals who purchase accessible vehicles. Currently, someone seeking to make aftermarket changes to make a vehicle accessible only pays 1% sales tax. In contrast, someone who purchases an accessible vehicle with factory installed adaptive equipment must pay the full sales tax rate plus any local sales taxes set by the county where they reside.