Tom Harness | SIU

Tom Harness is a U.S. Army Veteran, Former Educator, Entrepreneur, and owner of Harness Digital Marketing. He is an SIU Alumni with a bachelors in Elementary Education and a Masters in Educational Administration. He is best known for his Ugly Christmas Suit fundraiser campaign that raised over 5 years $25,000 for 5 local non-profits.

Tom is a Delta Leadership Institute and Harvard Kennedy School of Business Authentic Leadership graduate. He has used his diverse background, skills, and passion for various Veterans Organizations and his current position as Carterville, IL Ward 2 City Councilman to be a servant leader throughout Southern Illinois.

He is the recipient of the 2020 WSIU Good Neighbor Award, the Illinois Bicentennial 200 Honor Veteran Award, the 2020 Rotary Spirit of Service Award, and the 2016 Hospice of Southern Illinois Service Award.

He has a daughter, Mia, who attends Carterville, IL High School. She is on the Carterville Golf Team, Kre8ive, and does dance with High Image Dance.