Kevin “Duffy” Blackburn wears many, many different hats.
By day he’s a professor in USF’s College of Business and Health Administration, and by night, he’s a hockey and soccer loving family man who plays, in his words, a bad guitar (I don’t think he mean’s the instrument itself).
This doesn’t even begin to mention his long career in public service, including stints as a board member for multiple non-profits such as the Child Advocacy Center.
“I love using my position to help out boards,” he said. “I like to think that the University of St. Francis and the Will County communities are very small communities and are always looking for people to step up and do those sorts of things.”
Blackburn’s parents wanted to name him Duffy, but his dad brought up a point that may have just prophesied the trajectory of Blackburn’s life.
“My mom liked Duffy,” he said. “My dad said, ‘that’s great, but let’s have a first name in case...he runs for office. He’ll need a normal name.’”
Lo and behold, Kevin was elected for his fifth term as Will County Auditor on the first Tuesday of November.
That’s not the only invisible string in this equation.
Duffy’s mom got one of her master's degrees from what was then the College of St. Francis, and his dad played basketball with Joliet legend Pat Sullivan in his college years. He grew up coming to USF’s Brown and Gold Nights.
His roots in the area run even deeper.
“I was actually baptized in the chapel on the third floor here [in Motherhouse],” Duffy said with a laugh. “To be back here now is so strange.”
It’s almost like he was meant to follow a life of service, which also happens to be one of the four core values held by the university he’s taught at since 2019.
“I don’t say this for the sake of rhetoric, but St. Francis really walks the walk,” Duffy said. “Inside it’s a community. We’re just learning. You learn your side, I learn my side, and as an auditor that’s sort of the profession of the field.”
While in office over the past four terms, Kevin has watched his family grow up. His wife was pregnant with their first child (who is now a high schooler) during his first campaign. A campaign that saw her and her husband walk in 22 parades throughout the election season.
Five election victories later, Kevin’s back for more.
“I think it’s a ministry for myself,” he said. “It’s basically a calling.”
In his office, he hopes to unite a community in a time of great divisiveness throughout the nation.
“We’re trying to help bring people together,” Kevin said. “It’s difficult in this time and age to bring people to together.”
But he’s up to the task. Kevin continues to fill out candidate forms and perform audits not only because he’s good at what he does, but because of his sense of duty and service.
“In my first term, I won County Auditor of the Year in the state of Illinois,” Kevin said. “People were more impressed that there was even an award for auditing.”
Duffy looked up to his parents growing up. His father suffered a work injury early on in life and became disabled. His mother worked during the day and went to school at night, eventually earning a doctorate and becoming a teacher herself. These role models gave Duffy the idea early on about living a life in the service of others.
“When I was asked to run for office for the first time, I obviously went to my family, talked to my wife; talked to my parents,” he said. “I thought it was a great way [to help], because government needs good accountants.”
Despite balancing all of these different jobs, Duffy still finds time for his wife, kids and dogs. He’s even teaching himself some piano. He’s recently nailed down some of his scales.
“I can play ‘Minuet in G,’” he said with a chuckle. “If that serves for any repertoire, I don’t know, but I like to play music.”
Maybe world-renowned musician is the next job on Duffy’s ever-growing resume.
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