Arc and Governor-elect Rauner Announces First Cabinet Appointments

On Saturday, it was my honor to stand with Governor Quinn as he signed important
voting rights legislation making it easier for people with disabilities and all citizens in
Illinois to participate in our democracy.

Governor-elect Rauner has announced his first Cabinet appointments this weekend.
At this point, he has not appointed and a Secretary of Human Services or any other
Directors of State Departments.

Of the new appointments two attract special attention:

1. Mike Zolnierowicz, Chief of Staff
2. ennifer Hammer, Special Counsel to the Governor and Policy Adviser for
   Healthcare and Human Services
3. James Meeks, Position: Chairman – State Board of Education
4. Tim Nuding, Director of Governor’s Office of Management and Budget

List of new appointments from the Illinois Observer below.

Tony

(Chicago) – Governor-elect Bruce Rauner announced today his first cabinet
appointments and top staff picks.
Today’s cabinet and board appointments cover the Department of Transportation,
State Board of Education, Illinois Department of Employment Security, Illinois
Criminal Justice Information Authority, University of Illinois Board of Trustees and the
Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice.

Here they are:

Randy Blankenhorn
Position: Secretary – Illinois Department of Transportation

Blankenhorn is currently the Executive Director of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency
for Planning (CMAP). This is a return to IDOT to for Blankenhorn; he worked for the
agency for 22 years, most recently as the Bureau Chief of Urban Program Planning.

Blankenhorn has been the head of CMAP since its inception by the General
Assembly in 2006. CMAP oversees transportation, land use, housing economic
development, environment and other quality of life issues in the seven counties that
makeup Chicagoland. Blankenhorn has also overseen the implementation of GO TO
2040, which is the first regional plan for the Chicago metropolitan area in more than
100 years.
While at IDOT, Blankenhorn worked in a number of positions in both the policy and
planning divisions, eventually rising to the Bureau Chief of Urban Program Planning. He
was also the point person on a number of major infrastructure projects in Illinois,
including the extension of I-355 and IL 53; the new Mississippi River crossing in St. Louis;
and the South Suburban Airport.
Blankenhorn also worked for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, the
Illinois Secretary of State and the Illinois Department of Personnel. He is a graduate of
Illinois State University, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
Experience:
•      Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Executive Director 2006 – Present)
•      Illinois Department of Transportation, Bureau Chief of Urban Program Planning
(1984 to 2006)
•      Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (1984)
o   Assistant to the Director
o   Assistant Legislative Liaison
•      Illinois Secretary of State, Assistant to the Director – Dept. of Personnel (1981-
1984)
•      Illinois Department of Personnel (1980-1981)
o   Assistant to the Director
o   Assistant to Deputy Director
Education:
•       Illinois State University, B.S. Business Administration (1980)
Personal Information:
•      Age: 56
•      Hometown: Chicago

James Meeks
Position: Chairman – State Board of Education

Meeks’ commitment to education is evidenced by his work in the General Assembly,
and as the Pastor of Salem Baptist Church in Chicago.
While a member of the Senate, Meeks was a strong voice in education, serving as
the Chairman of the Senate’s Education Committee. He worked hard to increase
school funding and improve the quality of education for all students.
Meeks is currently the Pastor of Salem Baptist Church, which is one of the fastest
growing African-American churches in the United States; it currently has more than
15,000 members. He received his bachelor’s degree in Religion & Philosophy from
Bishop College in Dallas, Tex.
Experience:
•      Salem Baptist Church, Pastor (1985-Present)
•      Illinois State Senator, 15th District (2003-2013)
Education:
•      Bishop College, B.A. Religion & Philosophy
Personal Information:
•      Age: 59
•      Hometown: Chicago

Jeff Mays
Position: Director – Illinois Department of Employment Security

Former State Representative Jeff Mays (R-96th District) is currently the President of
the Illinois Business Roundtable, which is an association of corporate business
leaders and makes recommendations on policy issues facing Illinois.
For more than 15 years, Mays has advocated for education and workforce development,
while representing the interests of chief business executives in Illinois.  He has created
programs to help students of all ages learn skills they will need in the workforce. In
addition, he has worked on programs that pipeline talented employees to Illinois.
Mays served five terms in the Illinois General Assembly from 1981 to 1990, representing
large portions of Springfield, Decatur and surrounding communities. He was the Chief
Sponsor on all Executive Agency Appropriations, and led House Republicans on all
budget related committees.  He was also the Co-Chair of the Legislative Audit
Commission. Mays also served on the following House Committees: Labor and
Commerce, Executive, Financial Institutions and Select Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
In between his time in the General Assembly and at the IBR, he worked for the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development as a Special Assistant to the Regional
Administrator. He also spent five years at the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce as
the Vice President of Human Resources, and as the Executive Vice President.
Mays holds bachelor’s degrees from Northwestern University in history and economics.
He currently serves as the Vice President on the Quincy Public School Board.
Experience:
•      Illinois Business Roundtable, President (1998-Present)
•      Illinois State Chamber of Commerce
o   Executive Vice President (1997-1998)
o   Vice President of Human Resources (1993-1997)
•      U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Special Assistant to the
Regional Administrator (1990-1992)
•      Illinois House of Representatives, 96th District (1981-1990)
o   Chief House Sponsor of all Executive Agency Appropriations and lead House
Republican Conferee to all budget conference committees.
o   House Legislative Audit Commission, Co-Chair
o   House Labor and Commerce Committee
o   House Executive Committee
o   House            Select Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
o   House Financial Institutions Committee
•      Mississippi Valley Canteen, Vice President & COO (1974-1981)
Leadership positions:
•       Quincy Public School Board, Vie President (2007-Present)
Education:
•       Northwestern University, B.A. History and Economics (1974)
Personal Information:
•      Age: 62
•      Hometown: Quincy

John Maki
Position: Executive Director – Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority

Maki, 39, currently is the Executive Director of the John Howard Association of Illinois,
which is the only non-partisan prison watchdog organization in Illinois.
Maki has spent the past four years working to reform the criminal justice system,
making it more humane and cost effective. His significant legislative advocacy efforts
include, 2012 bi-partisan legislation enabling low-level offenders to earn time off their
sentences, and a 2013-2014 effort that created the Joint Committee on Criminal Justice
Reform.
Prior to his work with the John Howard Association, Maki worked with a number of
innocence projects in the Midwest, including the Center on Wrongful Convictions at the
Northwestern University School of Law.
Maki is an attorney, earning his degree from Loyola University Chicago College of Law.
He also holds a master’s degree in English from the University of Chicago, and
bachelor’s degrees in English and philosophy from Whittier College in Whittier, Calif.
In addition, Maki volunteers on multiple governmental and non-profit boards, including
the Governor-Elect’s transition team as the Co-Chair of Public Safety.
Experience:
•      John Howard Association of Illinois, Executive and Coordinating Director (2010 –
Present)
•      Adjunct Professor, Loyola University of Chicago (2009 & 2014)
•      New Media Consultant for Center on Wrongful Convictions, Northwestern Univ.
School of Law; Michigan Innocence Clinic, Univ. of Mich. School of Law; and
Wisconsin Innocence Project, Univ. of Wisconsin School of Law (2008-2010)
•      Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, New Media Specialist & Organizer (2006-
2008)
•      Francis W. Parker School, Teacher (2003-2006)
Leadership positions:
•      St. Leonard’s Ministries, Board Member
•      Salvation Army Correctional Services Program Advisory Council, Board Member
•      Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, Board member
Awards:
•      Public Citizen of the Year, National Association of Social Workers – Illinois
Chapter
Education:
•      Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, J.D. (2009)
•      University of Chicago, M.A. in English (2002)
•      Whittier College, B.A. in English & Philosophy (1998)
Personal Information:
•      Age: 39
•      Hometown: Chicago

Edward McMillan
Position: Member – University of Illinois Board of Trustees

Rauner will re-appoint McMillian to the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. McMillan
is currently finishing his first term on board. He brings more than 45 years of agri-
business experience to the position.
McMillian is currently an independent business consultant that focuses on alliance
creation; mergers and acquisitions; and management changes in the food and agri-
business industry. He is considered a leading figure in the animal nutrition industry, and
is a member of the board of directors for several food and agri-business corporations.
McMillian previously served as the President and CEO of Purina Mills, Inc., which is the
country’s largest manufacturer and distributor of animal nutrition projects. He joined
Purina in 1969 as a field sales representative, and held several positions throughout
company, before being named President and CEO in 1988. He was elected to Purina’s
Board of Directors in 1993.
McMillian is a graduate of the University of Illinois, with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural
science. He is a resident of Greenville.
Experience:
•      University of Illinois Board of Trustees, Member (2009-2015)
•      McMillian LLC, Principal and CEO (1999-Present)
•      Concord Partners, LLC (1999)
•      Agri Business Group, Inc. (1997-1999)
•      Purdue University, School of Agriculture (1996-1997)
•      University of Illinois, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental
Sciences (1996-1997)
•      Purina Mills Inc., President, CEO and Director (1993-1996)
•      British Petroleum-Purina Mills Inc.
o   President & CEO (1988-1993)
o   Vice President – Marketing & Product Research (1986-1987)
•      Ralston Purina Company – Purina Mills Inc.
o   Vice President, Diversified Business (1985-1986)
o   Vice President, Business Development (1983-1985)
o   Vice President, Marketing (1979-1983)
o   Product Group Director, Hog (1975-1979)
o   Regional Marketing Manger, Central Region (1973-1975)
o   Field Sales (1969-1973)
Membership Organizations, Leadership Organizations, Awards:
•      University of Illinois Research Park, LLC, Board of Mangers – Chairman
•      Southwestern Illinois Development Authority, Board of Directors
•      Balchem Corporation, Board of Directors
•      NutraCea, Inc., Board of Directors
Education:
•      University of Illinois, Agricultural Science (1969)
Personal Information:
•      Age: 68
•      Hometown: Greenville

Candice Jones
Position: Director – Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice:

Rauner has asked Jones, 35, to continue her work as the Director of the Illinois
Department of Juvenile Justice. She has served in the position for the past year under
the former administration.
Under Jones’ leadership, the IDJJ has reformed much of the state’s juvenile justice
system, to bring it in compliance with state and federal mandates. She has also overseen
the statewide implementation of Aftercare, which transformed the former adult parole
system into an age-appropriate rehabilitation program. This program helps the youth
successfully re-enter society and ultimately, the workforce.
Prior to her work with the IDJJ, she served as an associate director of the Office of
Management and Budget, managing the agency’s public safety budget, as well as assisting
the executive team. She also worked at the MacArthur Foundation working on juvenile
justice strategies in Illinois and across the U.S. Jones also served as a White House Fellow
in 2012, which is one of the country’s most prestigious programs, giving young Americans
the chance to work at the highest level of the federal government.
Jones earned her law degree from New York University, and holds two bachelor’s degrees
in political science, and African and African-American Studies from Washington University
in St. Louis.
Experience:
•      Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, Director (2014-Present)
•      Governor’s Office of Budget Management, Associate Director (2013-2014)
•      White House Fellows Program (2012-2013)
•      Department of Human Services – Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission, Executive
Director (2012)
•      The MacArthur Foundation, Program Officer (2008-2012)
•      Barack, Ferrazzano, Kirshbaum & Nagelberg, Associate (Summer 2006, 2007-2008)
Volunteer Experience:
•      First Defense Legal Aid (2009-Present)
•      Lil’ Sis Expo Chicago (2010-Present)
Education:
•      New York University School of Law, J.D. (2007)
•      Washington University in St. Louis, B.A. African and African-American Studies, and
Political Science (2001)
Personal Information:
•      Age: 35
•      Hometown: Chicago
In addition to cabinet appointments, Rauner today also announced a first wave of his
administration team that will serve in the Governor’s Office.
Here they are:

Mike Zolnierowicz, Chief of Staff

Zolnierowicz currently serves as director of the Bruce Rauner Transition Committee. He
previously worked as deputy campaign manager for Citizens for Rauner, Inc., overseeing
more than 500 paid employees and more than 10,000 volunteers. Prior to joining the
Rauner campaign, Mike served as Deputy Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Mark Kirk. As
Deputy Chief of Staff, Mike managed the Senator’s Illinois operations, overseeing the
Senator’s work with key stakeholders, including community leaders, the Congressional
delegation, the state legislature and Constitutional officers. Mike graduated from Downers
Grove North High School and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude from
Hope College.

Tim Nuding, Director of Governor’s Office of Management and Budget

Nuding has spent 25 years working in state government for the Illinois Senate Republican
Staff.  The first 16 years of his career were spent focusing on state fiscal issues through
the Senate Appropriations Committee both as a budget analyst and as the Director of
the Senate Appropriations Staff.  Most recently he has served as Chief of Staff to Illinois
Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno. Tim’s experience working in the
legislature has given him a unique perspective and understanding of the budget
problems facing Illinois.  He is widely respected in the State Capitol and has established
a solid network of relationships with executive agency staff, stakeholders and key
legislators and legislative staff from both political parties. Tim graduated from Illinois State
University in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in Finance.  He and his family reside in
Rochester, Illinois.

Richard Goldberg, Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative Affairs

Richard Goldberg currently serves as a senior adviser to the Bruce Rauner Transition
Committee. He previously served as a senior adviser for communications for Citizens for
Rauner, Inc. Prior to joining the Rauner campaign, Goldberg served as Deputy Chief of
Staff for U.S. Senator Mark Kirk, advising all areas of policy and communications.
Goldberg was the lead Senate Republican negotiator for three rounds of economic
sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the “Menendez-Kirk Amendment”
imposing sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran. Prior to the Senate, Goldberg served as
a senior appropriations associate for then-Congressman Kirk before leaving to serve as
Deputy Campaign Manager on Senator Kirk’s 2010 campaign. Goldberg has served as a
Navy Reserve intelligence officer since 2006 and deployed to Afghanistan in 2011. Raised
in Skokie, Goldberg graduated from the Ida Crown Jewish Academy before earning a
bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University.
Mike Schrimpf, Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications
Schrimpf currently serves as Communications Director for the Transition Committee. Prior
to joining the transition, Mike worked as Communications Director for Citizens for Rauner,
Inc. He earlier spent nearly five years as Communications Director for the Republican
Governors Association. Mike is originally from Cincinnati and graduated from Tufts
University.

Aaron Winters, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy

Winters currently is the Deputy Transition Director for the Bruce Rauner Transition
Committee.  He previously served as the Policy Director for Citizens for Rauner, Inc.
Prior to joining the Rauner campaign, he was a senior adviser to U.S. Senator Mark Kirk
and served in a variety of communications and legislative roles in Illinois and Washington,
DC, including Projects Director, where he oversaw all infrastructure policy and Illinois
economic development initiatives. Prior to his government service, Winters was a Senior
Account Executive at Hill & Knowlton, where he was the spokesman for the Upgrade 74
project, the complete reconstruction of I-74 through downtown Peoria.  Winters graduated
from Pontiac Township High School and Northwestern University.

Kelley Folino, Deputy Chief of Staff for Outreach

Folino got her start in government in Michigan while working for the legislative office of
the Department of Management and Budget. She worked in the Michigan House of
Representatives and the Illinois State Senate. She subsequently worked for Congressman
Mark Kirk and served as the District Chief of Staff for Congressman Bob Dold.  Most
recently, Kelley served as a Senior Adviser on Citizens for Rauner, Inc. She has a
bachelor’s degree in political science from Michigan State University.

David Wu, Director of Government Transformation

Wu served as a senior policy adviser for Citizens for Rauner, Inc. He was a policy director
for former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, the Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, and
numerous candidates at the local, state and federal levels. He has worked to develop
policy options in a wide range of areas. In addition to his public policy work, he has worked
in international finance, and traditional and digital media. Raised in San Francisco, he has
lived and worked in Hong Kong, Florida, Indiana and Singapore. David earned a
bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, a master’s degree in
economics from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and an MPA from the Harvard
Kennedy School.

Jason Barclay, General Counsel

Barclay is currently a partner at the law firm Barnes & Thornburg where he focuses on
some of the firm’s most challenging litigation cases and is widely regarded as one of
Indiana’s top trial attorneys. Prior to joining the firm, Jason served as legal counsel in the
office of Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. In state government, Jason had a particularly
sharp focus on public ethics, helping guide one of the nation’s most comprehensive and
highly regarded integrity and compliance programs. He also played a key role in
executing the legal strategies necessary to implement Governor Daniels’ agenda. Jason
earned his bachelor’s degree from Duke University and his J.D. from the University of
Virginia School of Law.

Kathy Lydon, DC Director

Lydon previously served as former U.S. Representative Judy Biggert’s Chief of Staff in
D.C., building strong relationships with the Illinois congressional delegation. Kathy also
worked for the late U.S. Senator Chuck Percy. She earned a bachelor’s degree from
Georgetown University and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Jim Clark, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs

Prior to joining the administration, Clark served as Chief of Staff to Cook County
Commissioner Tim Schneider at the Cook County Board of Commissioners and Special
Assistant to Illinois State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka.  Jim is a graduate of Arizona
State University in Tempe, Arizona.

Edward Murphy, Research Director

Murphy currently serves as Research Director for the Bruce Rauner Transition
Committee.  He previously served as Research Director for Citizens for Rauner, Inc. Prior
to joining the Rauner campaign, Murphy served in a number of senior research roles,
including Deputy Research Director at the Republican National Committee, Research
Director for U.S. Senator Scott Brown’s 2012 re-election campaign, Research Director for
U.S. Senator Mark Kirk’s Senate office and 2010 campaign, and Research Director for the
Illinois Republican Party.  An Illinois native, Murphy attended the University of Notre Dame,
where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

Sarah Clamp, Director of Special Projects

Clamp worked as an adviser for the Rauner Transition Committee. She served as political
director for Citizens for Rauner, Inc.  Sarah is also an alumnus of the political departments
for both the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican
Congressional Committee in Washington D.C.   She is a graduate of Cornell University.

Holly Griff, Executive Assistant to the Governor

Griff is Governor-Elect Rauner’s longtime executive assistant.  Throughout the campaign
and transition, Holly performed a myriad of duties and responsibilities for the Governor-
Elect and the First Lady-designate.  She also managed the calendars of both the
Governor-Elect and the Lt. Governor-Elect.  Holly is a native of Illinois.

Jared Melamed Dubnow, Special Assistant to the Governor

Melamed Dubnow currently serves as special assistant to Governor-Elect Bruce Rauner.
Previously, he was a Deputy Political Director for Citizens for Rauner, Inc. In that position
he traveled to all campaign events and helped oversee daily operations for the candidate.
Prior to joining the Rauner campaign, Jared served as Deputy Field Office Manager for
the Dold for Congress campaign. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Emory University
with degrees in economics and international studies.

Communications Team:
Lance Trover, Communications Director

Trover served as Senior Communications Adviser for Citizens for Rauner, Inc. A former
communications director for U.S. Senator Mark Kirk, he supervised media relations with
local and national press during the Highland Park Republican’s successful return to
Congress following a debilitating stroke. In 2012, Lance served as Deputy
Communications Director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. He also
directed communications for Kirk for Senate, and the Illinois Republican Party. Raised in
the deep southern Illinois town of Vienna, where his family still resides, Lance is a
graduate of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, where he earned both a bachelor’s
and law degree.

Catherine Kelly, Press Secretary

Kelly was most recently a producer at ABC 7 Chicago, where she produced daily
newscasts for the number-one station in the nation’s third-largest media market. Cate
coordinated morning and afternoon newscasts, vetting stories on the local, state and
international level. She also edited video and created graphics to accompany stories, while
assisting reporters in the field. Prior to moving to Chicago, she worked in California’s state
capital at KCRA-TV, also as a news producer. During her time there, she was nominated
for an Emmy Award for her work during the 2012 Japanese earthquake and tsunami and
its impact on Northern California. She also has experience as a producer, reporter and
web editor from the NBC affiliate in Columbia, Mo. Cate graduated from the University of
Missouri and earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism, with an emphasis in Radio/
Television.

Lyndsey Walters, Deputy Press Secretary

Walters currently serves as Press Secretary for the Bruce Rauner Transition Committee.
She previously served as the Press Secretary for Citizens for Rauner, Inc. Prior to the
Rauner campaign, Lyndsey was a consultant at The Glover Park Group, a leading
Washington D.C. strategic communications firm. Lyndsey began her career as a press
lead for Governor Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign, working with the national
traveling press corps and local press affiliates.  A native of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania,
Lyndsey received a bachelor’s degree from Drexel University with a dual major in
business and communications.

Allie Bovis, Deputy Press Secretary

Bovis formerly served as the Legislative Correspondent in Washington, D.C. for
Congresswoman Susan W. Brooks of Indiana. Prior to working on Capitol Hill, she served
as Press Assistant in the administration of former Indiana Governor Mitchell E. Daniels.
She is a native of Indianapolis, Ind. and graduate of Indiana University.
Jacquelyn Reineke, Press Assistant
Reineke previously worked as the Deputy Communications Director for the Ohio
Republican Party, producing graphics and media for the 2014 gubernatorial election.
Jacquelyn grew up in Tiffin, Ohio. She received a bachelor’s degree in political science with
minors in economics and international relations from Xavier University in Cincinnati.

Policy Team:

Joe Beyer, Efficiency and Metrics

Beyer’s prior experience includes roles in finance and consulting, most recently at William
Blair and Co. in Chicago, where he was a member of the healthcare investment banking
group. Prior to that, he spent three years at Aon Hewitt (formerly Hewitt Associates) as an
actuarial associate, providing pension consulting services to companies with defined-
benefit plans. He also previously worked at Deutsche Bank in New York and the Federal
Reserve Bank of Chicago. Joe is a native of Springfield. He holds a B.S. in Actuarial
Science, summa cum laude, from the University of Illinois; a J.D. from the Harvard Law
School and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Samantha Gaddy, Policy Adviser for Public Safety

Gaddy was formerly the Senior Policy Adviser for the Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory
Council (SPAC), where she advised policy-makers on the system-wide fiscal impact of
sentencing policies and procedures. Prior to SPAC, Samantha worked as a member of the
Illinois Attorney General’s legislative team, advocating for the Attorney General’s legislative
agenda in the areas of public safety, the rights of crime victims and witnesses, consumer
protection, public utilities and predatory lending reform. Samantha previously worked for
the Illinois Innocence Project, helping to investigate post-conviction claims of actual
innocence. Samantha currently serves on the Board of Directors for Fans 4 L.I.F.E, Inc., a
school-based mentoring program for at-risk children and is a member of Alpha Phi Sigma,
a national criminal justice honor society. Samantha is a native of Alton.

Jennifer Hammer, Special Counsel to the Governor and Policy Adviser for
Healthcare and Human Services

Walsh Hammer has previous experience in healthcare and human services policy as the
Executive Director of the Healthcare Council for the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. She is
also an attorney and spent a significant time in private practice at Giffin, Winning, Cohen &
Bodewes.  She is a second term elected Governor on the Illinois State Bar Association
Board of Governors. She is appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to the Board of
Character and Fitness. Jennifer is a Past President of the Central Illinois Women’s Bar
Association and the Junior League of Springfield. She is the Secretary of the Sangamon
County Bar Association and Vice President of the Lincoln Library Board of Trustees.
Jennifer has been the recipient of the Springfield Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 Award
and the Today’s Chicago Woman “Women to Watch” Award.

Michael Mahoney, Policy Adviser for Revenue and Pensions

Mahoney previously worked for the Illinois House Republicans as the Deputy Research
Director focusing on personnel, pension and fiscal issues. A native of Joliet, Michael
attended Joliet Catholic Academy and received his bachelor’s degree in Economics from
the University of Illinois.

Sean McCarthy, Policy Adviser for Economic Development

McCarthy was the Deputy Chief of Staff for Congressman Randy Hultgren and a Senior
Community Relations Director at Nicor Gas. Prior to joining the utility, Sean worked at
Lake County Partners and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs
where he gained economic development experience at the county and state level. Sean
earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Stonehill College in North Easton,
Mass. and received his M.B.A. at Dominican University in River Forest, Ill.

Alec Messina, Policy Adviser for Environment and Energy

Messina is the Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Regulatory Group (“IERG”),
a non-profit trade association.  Prior to returning to IERG in October of 2010, where he
initially served as its General Counsel from 2001-2005, Messina served as the Chief Legal
Counsel for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, a position he took in August 2005.
Messina holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Illinois and a
law degree for Juris Doctorate from Southern Illinois University School of Law.

Brian Oszakiewski, Policy Adviser for Infrastructure

Oszakiewski served eight years advising Congressman Dan Lipinski on all rail, highway,
aviation, freight, waterways, public transportation and other issues before the U.S. House
Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. He was Representative Lipinski’s Legislative
Director, managing the congressman’s legislative staff to formulate and implement his
agenda. Brian most recently worked for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association,
an organization that represents aircraft, engine, avionics and other aviation-related
manufacturers and service providers. A native of Chicagoland, Brian holds a bachelor’s
degree from Creighton University and a master’s degree from The Johns Hopkins
University.

Randy Pollard, Downstate Director

Pollard served as the Downstate Director for U.S. Senator Mark Kirk. Randy was
employed at the Illinois Department of Corrections for 25 years, and served as
supervisor for Pepsi Co. Randy and his wife Cheryl reside in Vandalia, IL.

Outreach Team:

Janice Collier, Director of Diversity and Recruitment

Glenn Collier currently serves as Director of Programs for Leadership Greater
Chicago, a non-profit civic leadership organization that creates lifelong partnerships
and develops community awareness among leaders in the Chicago metropolitan area.
In this role, she works closely with the members in the Leadership Fellows Association
within LGC, which consists of graduates from the Fellows Program. She is responsible
for executing the development of programs and oversees outreach with members and
potential members. Prior to joining LGC in 1986, she began her career in Public and
Government Affairs with Amoco Corporation.

Marcos Peterson, Director of Latino Affairs

Peterson, a Lake County native, has a mix of both private and public sector experience.
He served at the White House as an advance representative and has worked on the
national level for a presidential campaign. He has also run a small Latino social services
business. Most recently, Marcos served as the Director of Latino Outreach for Citizens
for Rauner, Inc.

Ashley Kalus, Coalitions Coordinator

Kalus most recently served as Coalitions Coordinator for Citizens for Rauner, Inc.
Before joining Rauner, Ashley spent 5 years directing operations and strategy for a
group of medical businesses, as well as leading an early stage medical device company.
Prior to that, Ashley worked as a consultant at Accenture. She holds graduate degrees
from the London School of Economics and Columbia University in public administration
with a focus on economic and security policy.

Dennis Jung, Outreach Coordinator

Jung previously served as the Asian American Outreach Coordinator on Citizens for
Rauner, Inc. He was born and raised in Illinois. Dennis graduated with honors from
the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a degree in political science and history.

Legal Team:

Joe Hartzler, Special Counsel

Hartzler has been a federal prosecutor in Springfield for the last 30 years. Joe is best
known for being picked by former Attorney General Janet Reno out of thousands of
federal prosecutors across the country to be the lead prosecutor in the Oklahoma City
bombing prosecution of Timothy McVeigh. He has since established himself as one of
the best legal minds in the Department of Justice, handling the most difficult appeals.
Joe will lead efforts to clean up state government of wrongdoers, ethics violators, and
serve as internal lead at collective bargaining sessions.

Mitch Holzrichter, Deputy Counsel

Holzrichter is a senior associate at Mayer Brown. Mitch specialized in public private
partnerships at his law firm working on major P3 transportation projects across the
country, the privatization of the first airport in the country, and the long term lease at
the Midway airport. He will lead regulatory reform review. Mitch earned a bachelor’s
degree Northwestern University and a law degree from the University of Michigan.

Dennis Murashko, Deputy Counsel

Murashko is a senior associate at Jones Day. Dennis clerked on the 10th and DC
Circuits Courts. Dennis is a native of Russia and also an actuary by background.
Dennis will lead legal review of pension reform, procurement and personnel reform
efforts. Dennis earned a bachelor’s degree from Maryville University and a law degree
from Northwestern University.

Emily Bastedo, Associate Counsel

Bastedo was an associate at Chapman & Culter before taking on the important job of
being a mom. Emily is a member of the Elmhurst School Board. She is an expert in
public finance matters and will help oversee the operations of the various finance
agencies, including the Illinois Finance Authority and Illinois Sports Facilities Authority.
Emily earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a law degree
from DePaul University.

Donovan Borvan, Associate Counsel

Borvan is an associate at Sidley Austin. Donovan is a commercial litigator and will
oversee the state’s litigation and consent decrees at various agencies, including
Healthcare and Family Services, Aging, and Department of Corrections. Donovan
earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee and a law degree from
the University of Chicago.

Chasity Boyce, Associate Counsel

Boyce is an associate at O’Hagan, where she is a commercial litigator. Chasity is
President of the Black Women Lawyers Association, with an interest in children’s issues,
including juvenile justice and education. Chasity will lead the clemency review process.
Chasity earned a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a law degree from
Howard University.

Emily Gibellina, Associate Counsel

Gibellina is Senior Counsel to Jim Durkin and the House Republicans. Emily is an expert
on legislative issues, especially insurance, worker’s comp and civil justice areas. She will
handle bill review and appointment processes. Emily earned a bachelor’s degree from
the University of Illinois and a law degree from Northwestern University.

Georgia Man, Associate Counsel

Man is an associate at Kirkland & Ellis. Georgia is in the corporate group and handles
complex M&A transactions. She will be an ethics and FOIA officer. Georgia earned a
bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee and a law degree from the University
of Virginia.

Joseph Wright, Assistant Counsel

Wright is a recent law school grad. Joseph has been serving as legal counsel to the City
of Des Plaines and will take the lead on local government issues. He earned a bachelor’s
degree from the University of Illinois and a law degree from Chicago-Kent University.

Operations Team:

Brittany Ladd, Director of Operations

Ladd comes from a diverse background in both the private and public sector. She has
extensive experience in public and private sector consulting and has provided
management consulting services to US Government organizations and Fortune 50
companies. As an U.S. Air Force brat, she grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona but moved to
Illinois following high school to enroll at Northwestern University. She has worked in
Operations for two national presidential campaigns, most recently serving as Director of
Advance to Ann Romney during the 2012 presidential election.

Grant Hammer, Director of Constituent Affairs

Hammer has a diverse background grounded in public affairs and state government. He
has worked in a number of public and private endeavors over the past decade, from serving
under state legislators and constitutional offices to working on political campaigns, in state
government and for state associations. Most recently, Grant served as Manager of
Community Affairs & Marketing in the State Treasurer’s Office. Grant also serves in a number
of leadership positions within his community. He is an unpaid, elected official tasked with
promoting opportunities for recreation and conservation within his hometown’s public park
system, a unit of local government approximately 60 square miles in size and having an
annual operating budget of id=”mce_marker”7 million. Grant also actively contributes to the
not-for-profit Springfield Youth Hockey Association, serving on the Executive Board as well as
coaching youth hockey. Grant is a Springfield native, and graduate of Southern Illinois
University Carbondale.

Jackie Lindsay, Director of Scheduling

Lindsay, a Christian County native, currently resides with her family in Menard County. Jackie
has been Legislative Director for Raucci & Sullivan Strategies since 2007. She has over 20
years of state government experience, the last 15 years of service was with the Illinois
Senate Republicans.

Laine Evans, Director of Advance

Evans served as the Director of Advance for Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti for
Citizens for Rauner, Inc. Before joining Rauner, Laine most recently hailed from Washington,
D.C. where she worked in various positions ranging from Senior Associate at Burson-
Marstellar to the Military Legislative Aid for Congressman Phil Roe (R-TN).  In 2012, she also
served as Lead Press Advance on Mitt Romney’s 2012 Presidential campaign. A Tennessee
native who now calls Illinois home, Laine received a bachelor’s degree in Government from
Wofford College. She received her master’s degree in Public Relations and Corporate
Communications from Georgetown University.

Office of the Lieutenant Governor:

Brian Colgan, Chief of Staff

Over the last ten years, Brian has served as a Senior Adviser to several Illinois officials
including US Congresswoman Judy Biggert and U.S. Senator Mark Kirk.  Brian has worked in
policy, politics, and community affairs. Brian resides in Naperville with his wife, Sarah, and
15-month-old son. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), where
he studied international, resource, and consumer economics.

newsdesk@illinoisobserver.net
Twitter @IL_Observer
IO News Staff | January 10, 2015 at 7:32 pm | Categories: Illinois |
URL: http://wp.me/p2kvOk-3Hc

Tony Paulauski
Executive Director
The Arc of Illinois
20901 S. LaGrange Rd. Suite 209
Frankfort, IL 60423
815-464-1832 (OFFICE)
815-464-1832 (CELL)
Tony@thearcofil.org