Christopher John Lauzen is an American politician, businessman, and Certified Public Accountant who served as the chairman of the Kane County Board in Illinois. Lauzen was elected in 2012. He previously served as a Republican member of the Illinois State Senate. Lauzen was first elected in 1992 and was re-elected in 1996, 2000, 2002, 2006, and 2010. He ran unsuccessfully for Illinois Comptroller in 1998 and for Congress in 2008. Early life and education Born and raised in Aurora, Illinois, Lauzen earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Duke University in 1974 and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 1978. Lauzen's grandparents emigrated from Romania to the United States in the early 20th century. On July 28, 2006, Romanian President Traian Băsescu awarded Lauzen the Order of the Star of Romania Medal, Commander Rank (the highest commendation granted to a foreign citizen by Romania), in recognition of his work to "build bridges of friendship and commerce between the people of Romania and the United States." Career Business After Harvard Business School, Lauzen returned to Aurora and worked as the president of Comprehensive Accounting Corporation, a franchisor of accounting services. During his five years as president, the number of franchise offices tripled to 450 nationwide, pre-tax profit doubled, and the network of accountants served over 22,000 small business owners. He and his wife, Sarah, later purchased a Comprehensive Accounting franchise in Geneva, IL. Illinois Senate Chris Lauzen was first elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1992. He joined a group of newly elected conservative State Senators called the "Fab Five". The other members of the Fab Five included Dave Syverson, Steve Rauschenberger, Patrick O'Malley, and Peter Fitzgerald. Throughout his political career, Lauzen has been a supporter of Christian views of marriage and stands against gun control and the right of women to choose. Lauzen served on several committees, including the Property Tax Reform Committee, Appropriations I, II, and III, and the Revenue Committee, where he was the ranking Republican spokesman. In recognition of his work on these committees and his consistent, pro-employment voting record, Lauzen was honored by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce with the "Champion of Free Enterprise" award and the NFIB with the "Guardian of Small Business" award. Lauzen sponsored a large tax reduction for employers and a property tax assessment freeze for homeowners over 65 years old with income less than $35,000. He