State Representative Ryan Spain was proud to nominate and host Bradford Village President Sharon Cauthon for this year’s annual Women to Watch Conference in Springfield on April 22, 2026.
Women to Watch is a networking event put on by Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie and the Illinois House Republican women legislators. The Women to Watch Conference honorees were invited to Springfield for a one-day conference on Wednesday that included panel discussion of women leaders, a luncheon, tours of the State Capitol and Archives, committee hearings and House Floor debate observations, and a networking social hour.
Village President Cauthon accompanied women from all over the state for the event. Sharon Cauthon grew up in Bradford in a family that owned a trucking company. She graduated from Henry-Senachwine High School and began her career at Great Dane Trailers before joining Caterpillar, Inc. where she became a certified track-type tractor operator and later Team Lead for the Black Iron Assembly Line, earning her Six Sigma Green Belt Certification.
In 2017, Sharon moved to Bo/Gar Enterprises in Wyoming as an office assistant and has cross-trained to become Purchasing Agent for Bo/Gar. She was elected Village President of Bradford in April 2025, and has impressed Rep. Spain as, “an outstanding local elected official and a great example of local leadership in the 73rd District.”
