Dana Trimble was born and raised on a family grain and livestock farm in Newman, Illinois. He graduated from Newman High School and earned both a bachelor's and master's degree in agriculture from the University of Illinois.
Mr. Trimble's career has spanned farming, managing seed corn production, conducting hazard waste management, banking, and working as a grain buyer and agricultural consultant. Prior to his 1999 election to the Parkland Board, Mr. Trimble benefited from coursework at Parkland College to improve his skill levels within jobs and also to aid in career transitions.
He and his wife Binnie have three grown children: Carrie, a professor at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois; Joshua, a lieutenant colonel in the US Army Signal Corps, currently attending the National War College at Ft. McNair in Washington, DC; and Sarah, a middle school social studies teacher in the Howard County, Maryland, school system.