About BJ Hackler
BJ Hackler is the retired owner of BJ’s Beauty Shop in St. Joseph and served for 36 years as the Mayor. Previously he was a St. Joseph Village Trustee for ten years. BJ was a great advocate for St. Joseph and helped bring many improvements to the Village. The newest park in St. Joseph bears his name. At the national level, BJ was selected as a congressional appointee to serve on a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Committee for four years. A native of Ridge Farm, he is now a member of the St. Joseph Drainage Committee. BJ was also involved for 21 years with the Illinois Municipal League (IML). The IML represents its 1,131 member municipalities at the Illinois State House and beyond. He served on the IML Board of Directors for many years and was selected to be the President of the statewide association. He was married to his late wife Dixie for over 58 years. They have two daughters (Tonya and Tracey), four grandchildren and four great children. An avid fisherman, B.J has been attending the greatest spectacle in racing, the Indy 500, for 21 years and is a passionate Illini basketball fan. He enjoys getting together with other friends and retirees at the local McDonald’s and for afternoon tea at El Toro.
- Do you have any nicknames? How did you get them?
I do. My nickname is B.J.
- What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
I would be a state senator.
- What advice would you give your 16-year old self?
No matter what Keep being positive.
- Do you have a favorite line from a movie?
No. I don’t.
- Would you rather go 30 days without your phone or your entire life without dessert?
I can go without a phone but I have to have a dessert.
- When was the last time you did something for the first time? What did you do?
Not too long ago, I started cooking new dishes for myself.
- Would you rather be a fish in a tank or in the open water?
I like to be free so I would enjoy open water for sure.
- When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Undertaker.
- Where is your favorite place to get takeout in Champaign County?
I like Roch’s restaurant.
- What’s the milestone you’re working towards right now in your personal and professional life?
I’m resolving a 16 year drainage Dist. problem
