Erica Harriss's Profile

Erica Harriss is a proud Metro East native. Born in Highland, Erica grew up, went to school, started her family and founded her own small business right here in Madison County. An Edwardsville High School graduate (go Tigers!), she would go on to earn her college degree in Speech Communication/Public Relations from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 1999.

Erica is an entrepreneur and small business owner, founding her company, which she continues to manage from her home office, in 2014. Since then, her business has been blessed with consistent growth and recognition in its industry. Prior to this she worked professionally in marketing and human resources for Ozzie Smith, and staffed newsrooms at KSDK-TV in St. Louis, and WLBT-TV in Jackson, Mississippi. From 1999 until 2004 Erica served as the Director of Communications for the National Children’s Cancer Society (NCCS).

Since 2016, Harriss has represented the 26^th District (encompassing Glen Carbon and outlying areas) on the Madison County Board. While on the Board, she has served as the Chairperson of the Personnel Committee and is also a member of the Finance, Government Operations, and Grants committees. Her guiding principle as an elected official has always been to put the taxpayer, the parent, and the resident first. She has worked diligently to promote fiscal responsibility by county government, while maintaining high-quality services, infrastructure, and government accountability.

In 2020, Erica was honored to receive the MLK Jr. Humanitarian Award from Bishop John Williams of New Shining Light Outreach Ministry for her service as an elected official. She has been an active member and youth group leader at Metro Community Baptist Church for nearly 25 years, has volunteered with various local charity organizations, and is a regular supporter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and Compassion International. Outside of business and public service Erica devotes her time to her family, raising three children in Glen Carbon with her husband Jeff and their two dogs, Penny & Teddy.