Rob Karr

As President & CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA), Rob brings over 30 years of experience to the Association.

Rob joined the IRMA in 1994, coordinating IRMA’s government relations efforts. In that capacity, he also served as the legislative coordinator for the Illinois Food Retailers Association and the Midwest Hardware Association. Additionally, he had the responsibility for IRMA’s membership development efforts.

In 2012, Rob was named Executive Vice President and assumed the position of President & CEO on Jan. 1, 2014.

Rob currently serves on the Employment Security Advisory Board to the Illinois Department of Employment Security, the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Advisory Board to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, the Illinois Attorney General’s Franchise Advisory Board, the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Food Safety Advisory Committee and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Low-Income Energy Assistance Program Policy Advisory Council. In 2009, Rob was appointed by then-Governor Pat Quinn to serve on the temporary Pension Systems Modernization Task Force. In addition, Rob served on the Board of the Council of State Retail Associations from 2014-2020 and as Chairman in 2019.

In 2024, FMI, The Food Industry Association, bestowed upon Rob the Donald H. MacManus Award for extraordinary achievements in public affairs. In 2021, Karr was recognized by United to Safeguard Against Illicit-Trade for his work in Illinois enacting a comprehensive organized retail crime law.

He is a graduate of Illinois State University. Rob is a native of Chicago and long-time resident of Jacksonville where he and his wife, Lori, reside. They are the proud parents of four.