Three-year Agreement Ratified by Union After Longest Negotiation in History

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Pat Quinn today praised the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31 members' approval of the new union contract covering some 35,000 state employees. Negotiations took more than 15 months and the agreement was ratified by AFSCME members over the past two weeks. Today's development is part of the governor's commitment to restore fiscal stability to Illinois.

"This is the best contract for all taxpayers in Illinois history," Governor Pat Quinn said. "This contract recognizes the fact that the state is facing unprecedented financial challenges. I want to thank the members of AFSCME who approved the agreement and the women and men who negotiated at the table for more than a year to get this job done. Even in difficult times, the process can work. This is a win for all of our taxpayers and a win for state workers as we continue to move Illinois forward."

AFSCME announced ratification of the contract this evening. The approved agreement will result in $900 million in healthcare savings over the life of the contract. The contract puts an end to free retiree healthcare in Illinois to ensure all retirees will begin paying a modest portion of their health insurance premiums starting July 1. In addition, the contract includes the most modest Cost of Living Adjustments in state history at a rate of 0 percent, 2 percent and 2 percent. Combined with step and longevity adjustments, this will total about $200 million over the life of the contract. The contract calls for new hires to start three steps lower, which amounts to about 9 percent less starting salary, which will save taxpayers money for years to come.

The contract also settles the pay raise litigation that has been tied up in court. As part of the agreement, the union and the administration have agreed to seek approximately $140 million in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 wages from the previous contract that were never appropriated.

This 15-month negotiation was the longest in the state's history.

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$10,000 Increase Expected to Immediately Help 500 More Working Families Keep Their Homes; 7,000 Homeowners Helped So Far

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today announced that the Illinois Housing Development Authority is increasing the mortgage assistance available through the Illinois Hardest Hit program to $35,000 per household across the state, effective April 1. The governor also announced that Illinois Hardest Hit has reached a milestone, having recently helped its 7,000th homeowner avoid foreclosure. Today's announcement will help an additional 500 working families keep their homes and is part of the governor's commitment to strengthen Illinois' communities.

"Illinois Hardest Hit is one of the best resources working families have to help keep their homes," Governor Quinn said. "As Illinois continues to recover from the nation's worst recession since the Great Depression, we can make our economy stronger by ensuring that homeowners get the assistance they need to avoid foreclosure."

Gov. Quinn launched the Illinois Hardest Hit program in 2011 to help homeowners who experience an income reduction due to unemployment or underemployment in two ways: monthly mortgage payment assistance and reinstatement assistance. The program, funded by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, has already committed nearly $160 million to more than 7,000 homeowners in 94 counties and continues to assist an average of 22 at-risk homeowners each day. Over the course of 2012, Illinois had the third most number of homeowners approved for assistance among the 18 states receiving Hardest Hit funds.

"The Illinois Hardest Hit program has been a vital resource for thousands of Illinois homeowners working to regain their financial footing," said Mary Kenney, IHDA executive director. "We found the most common reason otherwise eligible families were unable to be helped was because the amount necessary to bring their mortgage current exceeded the program limit. With an increased assistance limit, the program will support families at a critical time in the state's recovery."

The Illinois Hardest Hit program increase will address the realistic needs of unemployed or underemployed homeowners across the state. With $10,000 more assistance per family to allocate, more than 500 Illinois families could be assisted immediately. Over the next 30 days, program staff will contact the following groups of homeowners to see if they qualify to have their program terms amended in alignment with the new cap:

·         Homeowners who are currently receiving assistance;

·         Homeowners who were in the program but exhausted their benefits in 2013;

·         Homeowners who applied for the program in 2013 but were ineligible because their need exceeded the previous limit of $25,000

Homeowners who exited the program or were denied assistance before January 1, 2013, should reach out to the housing counselor they worked with to re-apply. New applicants can apply at www.illinoishardesthit.org. IHDA expects an additional 100 families per month to be eligible for mortgage payment support under the program extended limits.

While the foreclosure crisis is not over, CoreLogic reports that foreclosure inventory in Illinois is down almost 20 percent from last year and the average median home price rose from $115,000 to $132,500.  Illinois' 86,000 homes in foreclosure remain a serious issue, but the downward trend is a promising sign that the recovery efforts of the state and its partners are working.

"This is an exciting program change for homeowners in Illinois," said Joseph McGavin, director of the Illinois Hardest Hit program. "We are working to streamline our processes to accommodate this change and urge homeowners to act now as federal funds are limited."

The Illinois Hardest Hit program is the flagship initiative under Governor Quinn's Illinois Foreclosure Prevention Network (IFPN), an interagency support system and public awareness campaign that has connected thousands of Illinois residents with the services they need to keep their homes. Since IFPN was launched in 2012, over 600,000 households have been connected to free foreclosure help.

·         485,700 homeowners have accessed the IFPN website or the Illinois Hardest Hit program website.

·         More than 63,600 people have called IFPN help hotlines.

·         More than 50,400 homeowners have received homeownership counseling.

·         More than 3,800 people have attended a series of IFPN workshops across the state.

Illinois residents having trouble paying their mortgage or know someone who is should reach out to the Illinois Foreclosure Prevention Network by visiting the IFPN website at www.keepyourhomeillinois.org or the IFPN hotline at 855-KEEP-411.

About the Illinois Housing Development Authority

IHDA (www.ihda.org) is a self-supporting state agency that finances the creation and the preservation of affordable housing across Illinois. Since its creation in 1967, IHDA has allocated more than $11.6 billion and financed approximately 225,000 affordable units across the state.

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SPRINGFIELD - Governor Pat Quinn today delivered his fiscal year 2014 budget address to the Illinois General Assembly.  A transcript of the governor's remarks as prepared is below. For more information on the FY14 Illinois Budget, please visit Budget.Illinois.gov.

Governor Pat Quinn's Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Address

We Must Stop the Bleeding

President Cullerton, Speaker Madigan, Leaders Radogno and Cross, Lieutenant Governor Simon, Attorney General Madigan, Secretary White, Comptroller Topinka, Treasurer Rutherford, members of the General Assembly, distinguished guests and fellow citizens of Illinois, good afternoon.

Before I begin, I want to salute one of Illinois' greatest citizens...ever.

Yesterday, we lost a great public servant, Dawn Clark Netsch.  Dawn was a champion for equal rights for all people.

As the first woman elected to a state constitutional office in Illinois, Comptroller Netsch blazed a trail for women in public office.

I witnessed firsthand her dedication to honest government when we served together as State Treasurer and Comptroller in the 1990's.  Dawn was a straight shooter.  She always told the people of Illinois what they needed to know.  Throughout her life, Dawn Clark Netsch taught us about the right way to move forward in our democracy.

We are all grateful for her purposeful life.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm here today to submit our budget for Fiscal Year 2014.

This is the most difficult budget I have ever submitted to you.

But this is also an honest budget that reflects our fiscal challenges...pays down the backlog of bills...and addresses funds that have been under-appropriated for too long.  There are no gimmicks or fake numbers in this budget.

This budget holds the line on discretionary spending, while fully meeting our skyrocketing pension obligations.

Inaction on comprehensive pension reform has left our state with less revenue for our most important priorities.

Without pension reform, within two years, Illinois will be spending more on public pensions than on education.

As I said to you a year ago, our state cannot continue on this path.

Pension reform is hard.  But we've done hard things before.

Since I took the oath of office four years ago, we've taken many hard steps and enacted many difficult reforms to restore fiscal stability to Illinois.

Reduced spending

Despite the worst recession since the Great Depression and a greater demand for services than ever before, we've reduced spending to historic lows.

Our discretionary spending in this budget is about $16 billion.  We're spending less today on the operations we control than we did six years ago.

Since taking office, I have reduced discretionary spending more than any governor in recent memory.

We've closed and consolidated 54 expensive state facilities to save taxpayers more than $100 million a year.

And closing those facilities has not only saved money, it was also good policy.

When I took office, Illinois had 1,330 young people in juvenile detention centers.  Today we have 857.

Our community-based rehabilitation strategies are working.  They are reducing our juvenile population and helping more young offenders choose a better path.

When I took office, Illinois institutionalized more people with disabilities and mental health challenges than any state in the Union.

Since then, we've closed several institutions.

We've invested more in community care, which provides a better quality of life and more independence for people with disabilities.

Medicaid

Last year, I asked you to work with my administration to restructure our Medicaid program, which was on the brink of collapse.

We got that done, significantly reducing liability for taxpayers.  We are moving toward coordinated managed care and lower healthcare costs.  And we need to stay the course.

Made efficiencies

In fact, every year since I've taken office, we've taken steps to make our government more efficient and smarter.

That includes not only Medicaid restructuring and fewer state facilities, but also reduced office space.

We've consolidated and eliminated lease space, saving more than $50 million a year and reducing lease space by more than 2 million square feet.

Under Budgeting for Results, which we passed together in 2010, we carefully review each state agency every year.  We ask - what can we do better?  What are we doing well?  How can we do more with less?

And this week, I'm issuing an Executive Order to officially eliminate or consolidate 75 boards and commissions to increase efficiency.

These boards were either dormant, entirely redundant, or their work had been completed.

New tentative employee contract

And last week, we reached an important contract agreement with our public employees union, AFSCME, which represents 35,000 state employees.

After 15 hard months at the bargaining table, we reached a landmark three-year agreement that will save Illinois taxpayers more than $900 million in healthcare costs over the life of the contract.

That is unprecedented.

None of the last four gubernatorial administrations were able to achieve this kind of savings for our taxpayers.

Unlike prior administrations, we did not give in. We kept working... and working... and it worked.

This contract is good for our dedicated public employees.  And it's good for all the taxpayers of Illinois.

More hard work to do

Budget reductions, facility closures, Medicaid restructuring, and the proposed collective bargaining agreement have all required hard work.

But each has brought us closer to restoring fiscal stability to Illinois.

And we have more hard work to do.

Pension reform

It won't surprise you that the hard work starts with public pension reform.

On April 14, 2010, I signed into law Senate Bill 1946, which significantly reformed our public pension system for new employees.

This law is creating billions in long-term savings for Illinois taxpayers.

National conservative columnist George Will called that law an "earthquake," a "seismic event."

But that major reform seems like ancient history today.  Because as you know, our mission now is to reform our public pensions system for all employees, current and former.

Today, our budget is being squeezed more than ever.  And that will continue until we put a stop to it.

The most important thing we can do to repair Illinois' finances right now is to reform our public pension systems.

Last week, in my office, I met with all four legislative leaders:  President Cullerton, Speaker Madigan, Leader Radogno, and Leader Cross.  And our first item of discussion was pension reform.

Thank you, leaders, for expressing your desire to do something about this crisis.

I've worked with many of you on pension reform over the past year. There have been many good ideas...many proposals...many bills.

Yet there has been no vote on a comprehensive pension reform bill.

I'm ready to sign that bill.

Now, there are fundamental elements that should be part of pension reform.

First, there must be a firm guarantee that the State of Illinois will pay its full pension amount every year.  I've done that since I've been governor.

But that did not happen under previous governors and legislatures. They shorted the pension fund and shirked their responsibility. That's why we have a pension crisis today.

As you know, to make up for that failure, we've had to issue two pension obligation notes under my administration. The debt service on these notes will expire in 2020.

Once those notes expire, all of that revenue - nearly $1 billion annually - should be dedicated to the unfunded pension liability.

In addition, employees should adjust their own contributions to their pensions.

A few weeks ago, I attended the summit called by representatives of public employees.  I listened to them.

I was pleased that they volunteered to raise their employee contribution to help resolve the pension crisis.  This offer should be part of the solution.

And the State of Illinois as employer should also consider additional solutions to break the gridlock.

For example, any enhancement that we enact to gaming revenues this year should be dedicated to education, which could include teachers' pensions.

Of course, gaming expansion has to be done right.  It must have tough ethical standards, a campaign contribution ban on casino operators, and no loopholes for mobsters.

Finally, we cannot turn to our taxpayers to repair the pension problem.

There should be adjustments to pension benefits to fundamentally resolve this crisis.

These adjustments should include reforms to the pension cost of living adjustment.  The COLA is currently 3% compounded annually.  That's unsustainable for taxpayers.

For those with higher pensions, the cost of living adjustment should be suspended until the entire pension system achieves better balance.

The basic pension amount that has already been accrued by our current and former employees should not be touched.

But the pension reform solution should include cost of living adjustments going forward.

We all know that we must reform the Illinois public pension system.

So, members of the General Assembly, what are you waiting for?

I know this issue requires a hard vote.  But you know that every day you wait to vote on this matter - the problem gets worse.

It is costing taxpayers an additional $17 million a day. Illinois taxpayers are losing patience with your lack of action.

If I could issue an Executive Order to resolve the pension crisis, I would.  And I would have done it a long time ago.

But democracy requires action by the executive branch and the legislative branch.  It's time for you to legislate.

So take the vote. Send me a comprehensive pension reform bill.  Together, let's move Illinois forward.

Pay the bills

By the way, the hard work ahead isn't just pension reform.  It's paying down the backlog of bills caused by decades of fiscal mismanagement.

Over the past four years, we've been able to reduce the amount we owe.  By the end of the next fiscal year, we will have reduced the backlog of bills by nearly $2 billion.

But there's much more work to do.

That's why today I propose a plan to further pay down the state's backlog of bills.

Over the next 12 weeks, we should work together to enact legislation that suspends unnecessary corporate tax loopholes and dedicates the resulting revenue to a new Bill Payment Trust Fund.

For example, we should suspend the Foreign Dividend corporate loophole.  We should also join other states that have decoupled from the Federal Production Activities loophole.  And we should suspend the Non-Combination Rule that allows big corporations to shift their income to locations outside Illinois.  Together, these three loopholes alone cost our treasury about $445 million per year.

Suspending corporate loopholes like these until the bills are paid will be good for our vendors and good for our economy.

The more corporate loopholes we suspend, the faster we can pay down our bills.  Why should we give costly, ineffective loopholes to some of the biggest and most profitable corporations on earth, when we have bills to pay?

As elected officials, we should also do our part to pay down the bills.

That's why I've reduced my office budget every year since I took office.  This year I'm reducing it by another 5% -- and I'm dedicating these savings to pay down the bills.

And I ask our other constitutional officers and the General Assembly to do the same with your office budgets:  5% savings to pay down the bills.

Grow the economy

Of course, the best way to a better budget is to grow our economy.

In the last three years, Illinois has added 167,000 private sector jobs.  And Illinois ranks 5^th in the nation for recent manufacturing job creation.

Our Illinois Jobs Now! program has paved the way for economic growth.  Over the last three years, through this public works initiative, we have built or repaired 6,754 miles of roads and 1,082 bridges.  We've laid 3,029 miles of broadband fiber.

And we're building, repairing, or expanding 561 schools - putting thousands of people to work.

To date, we're investing $294 million in Clean Water projects from Chicago to Murphysboro, which will put hundreds of men and women to work improving our water systems.

And we're ready to do more. Several weeks ago, I signed a bill that you sent me - an additional $700 million investment this year in our roads and bridges all across Illinois.

The letting process will begin this month on this highway initiative, just in time for the spring construction season.

In addition to our roads and bridges, we'll put our Jump Start initiative back in motion to invest a half billion dollars for public transit in northeastern Illinois.

Public works investments like this will continue to drive our economy forward.

More and more businesses are choosing Illinois to grow and invest.

Site Selection Magazine just completed its national survey, ranking Illinois as the fifth best location in the country for new and expanded corporate facilities.

To promote more economic progress, we also need to move full-speed ahead on implementing the Affordable Care Act.

By doing so, we will create thousands of good health care jobs, even as we extend health coverage to more working people in Illinois.

Thank you, members of the Senate, for voting last week to make sure Illinois reaps the benefits of the Affordable Care Act.

Also, hydraulic fracturing - commonly called fracking - is coming to Illinois, with the strongest environmental regulations in the nation.

This legislation has the potential to create thousands of jobs in Downstate Illinois.

It will also ensure that our natural resources are protected for future generations.

Let's move forward on this jobs bill this year.

Budget priorities

We've worked to balance our budget, and we're working to grow our economy.  But in the meantime, we have the reality of this year's budget.

In the last four years, we have reduced discretionary spending to historic lows.  We've made our government leaner and more efficient. But with each year's budget, we've also absorbed reductions that were very difficult.

Skyrocketing pension obligations leave our state with no choice but to continue reductions to our core priorities.

There are significant reductions in this budget that I do not want to make.  And that none of you will want to make either.

These reductions are the direct result of the General Assembly's lack of action on public pension reform.

Our pension obligations have squeezed out funding for core services.  And every day that passes without pension reform, the problem gets worse.

That reality is very clear in the budget I submit today.

But what's also clear are the areas that we've been able to preserve funding, despite the significant pressure of pension costs.

Especially in difficult budgets, we must have priorities.

Early childhood education

That's why I have preserved investment in early childhood education.  A child is only four years old once.

Research shows that the achievement gap begins before a child steps foot in kindergarten.

We cannot leave our youngest behind because of a lack of political courage on hard issues...not if we're going to ensure that every child has a chance.

High-quality early childhood education provides one of the highest returns of any public investment - more than $7 for every dollar spent.

These are tough times... but early childhood education for the youngest among us must be a top priority.

 

MAP scholarships for college students

I have also preserved investment in MAP scholarships for Illinois college students who are in financial need.  Access to higher education is fundamental to a student's earning potential and career path.

The average college graduate makes 75 percent more than the average high school graduate.

And the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that most of the 30 fastest-growing jobs in the nation will require education beyond high school.

Scholarships for needy college students are an investment that Illinois can't afford to cut.

Veterans

Another area that we can't afford to cut is services for our veterans.  It is the duty of all of us on the home front to take good care of those who have borne the battle.

My budget includes increased funding for our Veterans' Homes.  This will meet the staffing requirements of the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act that the General Assembly recently enacted.

And it will ensure that we meet the care needs of more than 900 veterans in our Homes who served our nation when we needed them most.

Our budget also preserves funding for our veteran service offices and our healthcare - including mental health care - for our veterans.

Mental health care

In fact, mental health care for all who need it is a top priority.  So our budget includes an additional $25 million investment to improve mental health in Illinois.

Violence

Finally, the prevention of violence is an urgent priority we all share.

Despite difficult reductions elsewhere, this budget supports a comprehensive approach to taking on violence.

Our anti-violence strategy includes early childhood education, after-school programs, intervention initiatives, mentorship, mental health care, jobs, and support for our law enforcement.

Our State Police are part of our battle against violence.  That's why our budget supports three new cadet classes for the Illinois State Police.

Our budget also expands ReDeploy, our successful program to reduce crime by repeat offenders.

Through targeted investments in programs like this, we are doing our part to tackle the violence epidemic in Chicago and elsewhere in Illinois.

Now, these are the bright spots...the few priorities we've been able to protect despite hard fiscal reality.

But there are too many priorities that have been cut to the bone due to inaction on pension reform.

This is the most difficult budget Illinois has ever faced.

And it is only a preview of the pain that is to come if this General Assembly does not act decisively on comprehensive pension reform.

I have laid out principles that should guide the reform effort.

And I will continue to work with your leadership and members of this legislature to make pension reform the law of the land.

I stand ready to sign comprehensive pension reform immediately. Today.

But I cannot sign what I do not have on my desk.  The people of Illinois need your immediate action.

This year's budget is a tough pill to swallow.  But it's only managing the symptoms of a grievous condition that threatens the fiscal health of our state.

If we are to ensure a bright future for the people of Illinois, we must cure this condition.  We must enact fundamental pension reform.

And so I ask you...as our greatest president Abraham Lincoln asked in this year's film:  "Shall we stop this bleeding?"

Let's get the job done.  Thank you.

 

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Fills Key Positions at Three Universities, Illinois Commerce Commission,

Housing Development Authority and Health Information Exchange Authority

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today made a number of key appointments to the state's boards and commissions. In addition to three university boards, the governor filled positions on the Illinois Commerce Commission, the Illinois Housing Development Authority, the Health Information Exchange Authority and the Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission, and several other boards and commissions. Today's announcement continues his commitment to making Illinois government more accountable, transparent and effective.

"I'm pleased to announce the appointment of talented, qualified individuals to these important state boards and commissions," Governor Quinn said. "Their fresh perspectives, energy and commitment to public service will help move Illinois forward."

As a result of Governor Quinn's unprecedented efforts to make the executive appointment process more accessible and transparent, citizens who are interested in serving on boards and commissions can now apply online.

The governor's appointments are as follows:

Blind Services Planning Council:

Alyson Slaughter, of Alton, is an attorney and is president of the Illinois Association of Blind Students. She holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications and Sociology from St. Mary's College and a JD with a certificate in Health Law Studies from the St. Louis University School of Law.

Board of Credit Union Advisors:

Keith Burton, of Granite City, is executive vice president of GCS Credit Union, where he has worked since 1986. He holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.

Carnival-Amusement Safety Board:

William Sparks (reappointed), of New Douglas, is a former assistant bureau chief for the Illinois State Police, where he worked for more than 30 years. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army and the Illinois National Guard and is a certified amusement ride safety inspector and a former owner of his own amusement company. He was first appointed in 2011.

East St. Louis Financial Advisory Authority:

Clarence Ellis Sr. (reappointed), of East St. Louis, has served on the authority since 2010 and is a longtime community leader with experience as education instructor and administrator and non-profit director. Ellis is also the former chairman of the East St. Louis Planning Commission and is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

Governor's State University:

Bruce Friefeld (reappointed) is the Chief of Staff for the Will County Board and has served as a Governor's State trustee since 1996. Friefeld earned a JD from the DePaul University College of Law and is a longtime public servant and a veteran of the United States Naval Reserves.

Anibal Taboas, of Woodridge, is the president and CEO of Aspira Inc., a not-for-profit organization supporting the education of underserved populations in Chicago. Taboas earned master's degrees in Mechanical/Nuclear Engineering from Northwestern University and in Physics from Indiana State University.

Lorraine Tyson, of Chicago, is a partner at the Pugh, Jones & Johnson law firm, where she specializes in public finance and tax law. Tyson earned a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University and a JD from the University Of Illinois College Of Law.

Illinois Commerce Commission:

Sherina Maye is an associate in the Chicago office of Locke Lord LLP where she has focused on consumer finance litigation. She earned her undergraduate degree from Spelman College in Atlanta and graduated from Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C. Sherina is a mentor at the Young Women's Leadership Charter School, member of the National Executive Board of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a Founding Board Member of the Great Lakes Academy Charter School, and serves as an Associate Board Member for the Chicago Committee for Minorities in Large Law Firms. Maye's strong background in business and consumer finance litigation will be invaluable to the ICC as it continues to serve as a watchdog for Illinois consumers.

Illinois Finance Authority:

Roger Poole, of Smithton, worked as a business representative for the Machinists District #9 for 30 years before retiring in 2009. He also works on economic development and job creation strategy as a member of the Southwestern Illinois Development Authority, where he has served since 2008. He and his wife Rosalie have two sons and two grandchildren.

Illinois Health Information Exchange Authority:

Bechara Choucair (reappointed) has served as Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health. Under his leadership the department unveiled the first citywide comprehensive health agenda, "Healthy Chicago." Dr. Choucair received his MD from American University of Beirut-Lebanon.

Robert Wellman (reappointed) has been affiliated with the Carle Foundation for nearly 30 years and currently works for the Carle Foundation Hospital, a teaching hospital for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Medicine. Dr. Wellman received his MD from the University of Michigan.

Mark Neaman (reappointed) is the president and CEO of NorthShore University Health System, a $1.6 billion integrated health system, which includes four hospitals, a 650-physician multispecialty group practice, and a Research Institute. Northshore is also an academic affiliate of The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, where Mr. Neaman holds a faculty appointment of BioMedicine Fellow. Neaman received his undergraduate and master's degrees in Business/Healthcare Administration from Ohio State University.

Illinois Housing Development Authority:

Cristina Castro, of Elgin, is a member of the Kane County Board, where she serves on the Executive, Finance and Budget and Human Services committees. She earned an MBA from Northern Illinois University and is currently employed as a Marketing and Public Relations Specialist at Elgin Community College.

Salvatore (Sam) Tornatore, of Roselle, is a graduate of the John Marshall Law School and DePaul University in Chicago. He is a principal in the Tornatore Law Office located in Bloomingdale and Roselle. He has served on the DuPage County Board, the Roselle Village Board, the Roselle Zoning Board of Appeals and he is currently serving as a Bloomingdale Township Trustee.

Maternal and Child Health Advisory Board:

Elizabeth SA Patton-Whiteside (reappointed), of East St. Louis, has been a registered nurse in Illinois and Missouri for more than 35 years and currently works for the East St. Louis Department of Public Health. She has served on numerous state and local boards.

Public Guardian, Adams County:

Chris Scholz, of Quincy, is an attorney and partner at Scholz, Loos, Palmer, Siebers and Duesterhaus law firm in Quincy. He is a former Illinois Assistant Attorney General and Assistant State's Attorney for Adams County. Since 1993, he has served as assistant or chief corporation counsel for the city of Quincy. He is an active member of the community, holding a variety of positions including past president of the Adams County Bar Association. He holds a bachelor's degree from Western Illinois University and a JD from Mercer University.

Public Guardian, Brown County:

Janet Miley, of Mount Sterling, has managed operations at Brown County High School for 20 years. She and her husband formerly owned and operated their own memorial business. She holds a business degree from Gem City College in Quincy.

Public Guardian, Jackson County:

Shannon Rieckenberg, of Ava, is an attorney at Arbeiter Law Offices specializing in family law and estate planning. She previously completed externships in the Office of the William County State's Attorney and with the First Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois. She earned a bachelor's degree and a JD from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees:

Sandra Cook, of Collinsville, is a retired Master Sergeant who served the United States Marine Corps from 1979 until 2001. Following her military career, she earned her undergraduate degree and JD from SIU-Carbondale. She is a senior associate at the Belleville office of Brown & James Law Firm, and the proud mother of two U.S. Army combat veterans.

Dr. Melvin Terrell, of Chicago, served from 1988-2008 as vice president for Student Affairs and professor of Counselor Education at Northeastern Illinois University, where he founded the minority mentorship program, which was designed to improve the persistence and academic goals of Hispanic and African American students. Dr. Terrell is past president of the National Association of Student Affairs Professionals (NASAP) and served as editor of the NASAP Journal for eleven years. He earned his PhD in Higher Education and Black Studies from Southern Illinois University in 1978.

Lee Milner, of Springfield, is the manager of Public Affairs for the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center. He is a U.S. Army veteran and served at the Illinois State Board of Education for nearly 25 years, where he spent time as manager of the Communications division and as a member of the executive cabinet for the State Superintendent of Education. Lee earned his bachelor's degree from SIU-Carbondale and his master's in Public Administration from what is now the University of Illinois Springfield. He is currently on the Board for the Lincoln Land Community College Foundation and serves as president of the FBI Springfield Citizens Academy Alumni Association. Milner's father, four siblings and his two children also attended SIUC.

Southwestern Illinois Development Authority:

Gregory Kuehnel, of Bethalto, is a manufacturing representative for AC Systems and spent 20 years at Amoco Oil, where he rose to senior contract coordinator. He is a former director of facilities for the East Alton Elementary School District and is a veteran of the United States Navy.

Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission:

Craig Futterman, of Chicago, is a law professor at the University of Chicago Law School and was formerly the director of Public Interest Programs at Stanford Law School, where he also earned his JD. He is a former Cook County Public Defender and federal civil rights litigator. He founded the Civil Rights and Police Accountability Project at the University of Chicago's Mandel Legal Aid Clinic.

Neil Toppel (reappointed) of Chicago, is a former public defender and received his JD from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Leonard Cavise (reappointed) is a professor at DePaul University College of Law and alumnus of Georgetown Law.

Tri-City Regional Port District

Andy Economy (reappointed), of Madison, is the Venice Township Supervisor and has served on the Tri-City Regional Port District since 2005. He also owns his own auto body repair and towing business.

Western Illinois University Board of Trustees:

Yvonne Savala, of Moline, is currently the operations director at the Midwest Intellectual Property Management Institute. She received a bachelor's degree in Business Management and Technology from St. Ambrose University and an MPA with an Executive Development emphasis from Drake University.

Roger Clawson, of Moline, is a past president of the Western Illinois Alumni Association and earned his bachelor's degree in Business and Finance from WIU-Macomb in 1977. He was a member of a task force to create the Moline WIU campus and currently works as a State Farm Insurance Agent. He is active in the community, where he has served as president of the Moline Park Board and as director of the Moline Little League.

Carolyn Ehlert Fuller (reappointed) of Milan, has served on the WIU board since 1998, where she has been president twice. She recently retired from Deere & Company as director of Public Affairs & Program Support, Public Affairs Worldwide. Having worked at Deere & Company since 1979, she also served as manager of Illinois Government Affairs and manager of Public Policy Planning. She received her MBA from St. Ambrose University and her bachelor's from Marycrest College.

Of Illinois' more than 320 boards and commissions, 23 are compensated: six of which are full-time, paid positions while the remaining 14 are part-time or per diem. The remaining more than 290 boards are unpaid, volunteer boards. Board salaries are set by Illinois statute. Governor Quinn is conducting a top-to-bottom review of Illinois' boards and commissions to seek out ways to increase efficiency while protecting essential boards in place that are needed.

For more information on all of the state's boards and commissions, or to apply to serve on a board, please visit Appointments.Illinois.gov.

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