P.J. Brooks didn’t plan to become a school board member. Or a community fundraiser. Or a voice of steady leadership in western Illinois. But in truth, he’s been doing the work of a public servant since he was six years old.

That’s when he started knocking on doors in Kirkwood, Illinois, raising money for UNICEF and muscular dystrophy research—something his parents, rooted in faith and tight-knit family values, encouraged all their kids to do.

“We didn’t have much,” he says. “But we were always taught to give. So I did.”

That spirit never left him. After high school, he spent nearly three decades working for the Illinois Department of Corrections while continuing to serve on boards, organize fundraisers, and lend a hand wherever it was needed—from the Warren County Fair, where he volunteered for 35 years, to Relay for Life, church committees, and local service organizations.

Eventually, someone approached him with a suggestion: join the Monmouth-Roseville school board.

“I didn’t know,” he says. “You always hear it’s a thankless job. But I went to a few meetings just to see. And I saw something I believed in.”

That was twelve years ago.

Since then, P.J. has served as vice president and president of the board, led during periods of both calm and crisis, and helped the district navigate challenges including pandemic-era uncertainties and the pressures of growth and change. But ask him why he does it, and the answer stays simple: the kids.

“If we can help one student get the education they need—just one—then we’ve done our job,” he says.

He quotes Abraham Lincoln as easily as he jokes with his neighbors: “I never felt taller than when I stooped to help a child up.” It’s a mantra, a mindset, and for P.J., a mission.

He doesn’t do it for credit. He doesn’t do it for power. He does it because he believes in progress—the real kind, measured not in headlines but in student achievement, in strong governance, and in a community that knows how to show up when it counts.

He’s seen it firsthand.

In 2018, his middle son collapsed on the baseball field during warmups. What followed was a harrowing emergency, a heart attack that required a LifeFlight, a pacemaker, and long recovery. But it’s what happened around that tragedy that defines this story.

“The community stepped in,” P.J. recalls. “The school, the board, the church, our friends—everyone. They made calls, ran the fundraiser I was supposed to handle, supported us for weeks. They didn’t just say they cared. They proved it.”

That moment didn’t just change his family—it deepened his devotion.

“We say this all the time,” he says. “This district is different. We may not always agree, but we work it out. And when something really matters, this community wraps its arms around you.”

In board meetings, P.J. is known for his perspective, his well-timed quotes, and his respect for the governance process. “We don’t always vote the same,” he says, “but when the board votes, I stand behind it—because we are a unit.”

He’s proud of that culture. Proud of the diversity that defines Monmouth-Roseville. Proud of the educators, administrators, and students who make it more than just a district—it’s a family.

And he’s not finished.

His wife asks him every election cycle if he’s ready to step back. He smiles. Shrugs. “Maybe after one more term,” he says. “Maybe.”

For now, P.J. Brooks is still here. Showing up. Listening. Leading.

Not as a politician chasing promises—but as a public servant making progress.