Larry Kerkstra was appointed Kankakee County Board member for District 21 in January 2020. He was appointed shortly after the death of County Board member, Mike LaGesse. Some of the committees, he has been assigned to include: Community Service, Criminal Justice, the Planning, Zoning and Agriculture Committee, along with Highways and Buildings. It is a role he takes seriously.

Kankakee County has been his home for over 20 years. His family grew up in the South Suburbs; having lived and worked in the Chicago area for over 47 years. He has been in the building trades as a Millwright for 25 years. Most of his work has been in industrial production such as auto manufacturing, electrical generation industry; which includes fossil fuel, nuclear power and green energy; as well as other essential manufacturing processes that include the food industry, for example. He started his career as a production factory worker where he worked for nearly 20 years; beginning in industrial mechanics and leaving as a shift supervisor in the production department.

He has served as a union steward for over 40 years in both positions. Labor and working-class families have always been close to his heart. They have impacted his life and livelihood by being good stewards in the community. He believes in working families achieving the American Dream. By doing so, we contribute to and build stronger communities.