Deborah Sims graduated from John M. Harlan High School in Chicago, IL and later went on to attend Central YMCA College, Olive Harvey College, and Harold Washington College in Chicago, IL.

She began her career with Credit and Collections Department for the City of Chicago in 1976 as a Material Services employee. She later went on to work for Evergreen Plaza Bank in Evergreen Park, IL in 1979 as a switchboard operator. Her hard work, dedication and perseverance paid off because she was later promoted to head the Department of Force Place Insurance where she was responsible for over 1 million dollars in accounts.

She furthered her career with the Chief Judge’s office in Cook County where she was responsible for six Judges in pre-trial mediation and then went to work for the City of Chicago at the Department of Human Service, for CIN , Chicago Intervention Network and Youth Delinquency Prevention Programs.

Deborah Sims was encouraged to run for the office of Cook County Commissioner of the 5th District by her mentors Commissioner Wilson Frost and the late City of Chicago Alderman of the 34th Ward Lemuel Austin, Chairman of Budget.

In December of 1994 Deborah Sims was sworn into office as Commissioner of the 5th District where she is currently Vice-Chair of the Finance Committee which oversees a 3.2 billion dollar budget for the County of Cook. She also serves as Chairman of the Tax Delinquency and Oak Forest Hospital Committees. In addition, she serves a population of more than 317,000 constituents.

Commissioner Sims is a member of Salem Baptist Church in Chicago, IL and has one daughter Tiffany Sims.