Columbus, OH – Ballots for the U.S. Trotting Association (USTA) District 5 membership election, mailed to all district members on Friday, Oct. 31, must be mailed and postmarked no later than Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025.
In accordance with Article 4.02(f) of the Association’s Bylaws, completed ballots must be mailed to the accounting firm Plante Moran in Columbus, OH by the deadline. Members are reminded to place their completed ballot in the white ballot envelope, then enclose it in the blue business reply envelope addressed to Plante Moran. Each member must also sign the business reply envelope in the space indicated for their vote to be counted.
Two seats for District 5 Membership Director (Illinois) are open in this election. The positions are currently held by Sam Lilly and Jim Reynolds, who are both seeking re-election. They are joined on the ballot by Tina Schrock.
Sam Lilly of Downers Grove, IL, has served on the USTA Board since 2008 and currently chairs District 5. Introduced to harness racing as a child by his father at the Coles County Fairgrounds, Lilly reentered the industry in the early 1980s through advertising and writing before beginning to race and raise Standardbreds later that decade. He was named Illinois Harness Horseman of the Year and has held leadership roles as vice president of the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association, director and secretary of the Illinois Standardbred Owners and Breeders Association, and vice president of the DuPage County Farm Bureau.
Jim Reynolds, also an incumbent member of the USTA Board first elected in 2011, brings decades of experience in harness racing, education, and public service. Now retired from careers as a trainer-driver, educator, state administrator, and professor at Eastern Illinois University, Reynolds remains engaged in the sport as an active Standardbred owner.
A past president of the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association, Reynolds has also served on the boards of the Illinois Standardbred Owners and Breeders Association and the Harness Horse Youth Foundation. His extensive public service includes appointments as Director of the Illinois Bureau of County Fairs and Horse Racing and later as Superintendent of Promotions and Marketing for the Illinois Department of Agriculture. Following his state government tenure, he served as Director of Economic Development for Iroquois County. Reynolds remains dedicated to advancing and promoting harness racing at the local, state, and national levels.
Tina Schrock represents a fourth generation of family involvement in Illinois harness racing. She became a licensed charter while in college and continues to chart races at county fairs throughout the state. In 2013, she was appointed Secretary/Treasurer of the Mid-Western Illinois Racing Association and later assumed the same role with the newly formed Illinois Standardbred Association, which now oversees all county fair racing in Illinois. Schrock also serves as an identifier for several county fairs, the Hawthorne summer and fall meets, and the Illinois State Fairs in Springfield and Du Quoin. Additionally, she manages operations for both the spring/summer preview races and the Hawthorne meet held at the state fairgrounds. Schrock is also a member of the committee that organizes the Illinois Standardbred Banquet, which honors the state’s top performers.
“My decision to run for the position of USTA Director comes from a desire to help Illinois racing persevere through challenging times and to contribute to promoting and sustaining our industry,” Schrock said.
District 5 members are reminded to vote for two candidates on the ballot. The top two vote-getters will be elected to the open seats.
Election results will be announced in early January 2026.