Stermer attended Divine Word Missionaries, a Catholic seminary in Epworth, Iowa: According to Voices for Illinois Children, of which he was the first president, he "completed his bachelor's degree in liberal arts"; his 2012 state resume says that he received his bachelor's degree in English in 1966.
[2][3] He was Executive Director of the Legislative Advisory Committee on Public Aid for the Illinois General Assembly from 1979 to 1985.
"[7] At the time, Quinn was considered very vulnerable in the 2010 election against Republican Bill Brady,[5] and Stermer resigned just before the inspector's general report was made public in late August,[7] in order to minimize harm to Quinn's chances of winning.
[9] He remained a senior advisor from 2010 until being appointed Acting Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget on April 2, 2012.
[3][8] The Comptroller of Illinois, Judy Baar Topinka, died on December 10, 2014, a month after her re-election but while still serving out her first term.