An independent Federal agency headquartered in Chicago, the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) provides retirement, survivor, disability, unemployment and sickness benefit payments totaling about $9 billion a year under the Federal Railroad Retirement and Unemployment Insurance Acts, for about 700,000 beneficiaries now on its rolls and 227,000 current rail employees.

Before his appointment as Inspector General for the RRB, Mr. Dickman served as a prosecutor for the Cook County, Illinois State's Attorney's Financial and Governmental Crimes Task Force. His responsibilities included the investigation, indictment and prosecution of criminal cases involving governmental and white collar crimes.

From 1972 - 1991, Mr. Dickman was a member of the Board of Trade of the City of Chicago. At the Board of Trade, he served as the presiding judicial officer at Exchange judicial hearings, and as a Director and Member of the Executive Committee. He established policy, long-range strategic plans and international development for the multi-million dollar entity. He also developed legal and administrative policies, and approved budgets for over 800 staff employees and 3,000 members.

Mr. Dickman has conducted legal research and assisted in trial preparation as an Associate with the Law Firm of Peter Fitzpatrick and Associates in Chicago, 1973-89; and presided over tax-related disputes as a Hearings Referee for the Illinois Department of Revenue, 1976-80. He has also interpreted and drafted legislation as Legislative Counsel for the minority leadership of the Illinois House of Representatives, 1972-73; and represented the City of Chicago in various aspects of civil litigation as an Assistant Corporation Counsel, 1970-72.

A native of Chicago, Mr. Dickman is a graduate of the University of Illinois (B.S. 1966) and DePaul University College of Law (J.D. 1969).