Manny Flores to Lead Department of Financial and Professional Regulation; Humanitarian Merri Dee Named to Human Rights Commission
CHICAGO - November 1, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today announced Manny Flores as Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and former journalist and philanthropist Merri Dee to the Illinois Human Rights Commission. The governor also announced a number of other executive appointments to various boards and commissions that will continue his commitment to making state government more accountable, transparent and effective.
"Mr. Flores and Ms. Dee are proven public servants who have been strong advocates of everyday people," Governor Quinn said. "The stellar citizens I am appointing today will make our state stronger."
Manny Flores most recently served as director for the Division of Banking at IDFPR. He was previously appointed by Governor Quinn as Chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission. He is a former Chicago alderman and prosecutor in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. He holds a J.D. from George Washington University.
Merri Dee is former Chicago journalist and is the current president of the Illinois chapter of AARP. She was previously appointed by Governor Quinn to the Serve Illinois Commission and played a key role in drafting Illinois' first-ever crime victims' rights legislation. She has spent many years advocating for the United Negro College Fund and other charities.
Other appointments made by Governor Quinn today are below. For more information about Illinois' boards and commissions or to apply for a position, visit www.appointments.illinois.gov.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission: Amber Smock of Chicago is a Director of Advocacy at Access Living and has received several awards for her work as a disability rights advocate. She received her MA in Writing from School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BA in English from University of California Berkley.
Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust Fund Council: Dae Kim is the second generation of his family to work in the dry cleaning industry. He has a bachelor's degree in Marketing from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Paul Kwak has owned a dry cleaning business and has been a member of the Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust Fund Council since 2005. John Bredenkamp works at Wabash Independent Oil Co. in dry cleaning supply distribution, and has been a member of the Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust Fund Council since 2002. Jerome Anthony Lewicki has been on the Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust Fund Council since 1998.
Early Learning Council: Vanessa Rich is the Deputy Commissioner of Children Services at the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services. Daniel Fitzgerald is the Deputy Director of Service Intervention at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
Electric Vehicle Advisory Council: Josh Milberg has been actively involved in the development of Electric Vehicle strategy for the city of Chicago and is an advisor to the Citizens Utility Board on Electric Vehicle policy and strategy. He holds an MBA from Yale University.
Governor's Council on Health and Physical Fitness: Clersida Garcia is a leading member of the Midwest and National American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD). Garcia has also published books on the topics of physical development and health and physical education.
Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service: Giraldo Rosales of Champaign was appointed to the Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service by the Governor in 2009. He is a former Assistant Dean of Students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with over 30 years of experience working in K-20 education.
Illinois Geographic Information Council: Angela Brooks has an extensive background in urban planning, affordable housing and advocating for homelessness. She received her Master of Arts in Urban and Regional planning from the University of New Orleans. Bishnu Prasad Phuyal has received a Ph. D from Ohio State University in the spatial and geographical field. Phuyal has vast experience in community service, and was awarded the Humanitarian Service Award in recognition of his service to the Illinois Secretary of State. William Dickson has experience with GIS data analysis and has been a county Transportation Planner for nearly fifteen years. Kristen Amaya is a U.S. Navy Veteran who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from the University of Illinois and a Master of Public Administration from Southern Illinois University. Keith Yearman has served as the Director of the Illinois Geographical Society for the past six years. He is an assistant professor of geography at the College of DuPage. Michael Rizzitiello is the Director of Information Services at the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association and has an extensive background in urban planning and geospatial technologies. Joseph Hinton received his Master of Arts in Geography from the University of Illinois and has been employed as a Community Relations Specialist with the Center for Economic Success.
Illinois Liquor Control Commission: Maria Saldana is the chief operating officer at The Resurrection Project and previously served on the Illinois Toll Highway Authority and as president of the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners. She is a graduate of Stanford University and holds a J.D. from the University of California-Berkeley.
Illinois Sports Facilities Authority: Dr. Quentin Young is the former president of the Chicago Board of Health and served as Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Cook County Hospital. A nationally renowned physician and civil rights activist, he previously served as president of the American Public Health Association. Dr. Young founded the Chicago-based Health and Medicine Policy Research Group and co-founded the Physicians for a National Health Program.
Juvenile Justice Commission: Rick Velasquez is the Executive Director at Youth Outreach Services, Inc. He holds a Master's degree of Social Work from Jane Addams College at University of Illinois-Chicago, and a BA in Psychology from Northeastern Illinois University. Patrick Nelson is a Cook County probation officer in Cook County with a BS in Business Administration from Lane College, and his Teaching Certificate from Citywide Colleges. Lisa Jacobs is the Program Manager for Models for Change Initiative at Loyola University and holds a J.D. from the DePaul University College of Law. George Hill, Jr. is the President of Mid-States General and Mechanical Contracting Group and holds a BS in Civil Engineering and Business Administration from University of Minnesota. Shelley Andrea Davis of Chicago is a Lecturer at University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy and a National Advisor for Women's Initiative for Self Employment, with over 20 years of nonprofit and philanthropic work experience helping to improve public policies. She holds an M.A. of Urban Planning with an emphasis in Community Development and Economic Development from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a B.A. in Psychology from Lawrence University. Dr. Toni Irving is a deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to Governor Pat Quinn. She is co-chair of the Illinois Human Services Commission and holds a Ph.D. in English and American Literature from New York University. Arthur Bishop was appointed by Governor Quinn as director of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice in 2010 following a 35-year career in child welfare and community health administration.
Mid-America Medical District: Roy Lantry has worked in Biopharmaceuticals at Amgen Inc. and has over 30 years of experience in the health care field. He is currently working towards a PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Health Care Finances at St. Louis University, and has received an MBA from Southern Illinois University and a BA from Quincy College. Larry McCulley works at the Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation and has over 20 years of experience in health care, with extensive experience in the development, expansion and positioning of health care services in the Southwestern Illinois area. He received his MA in Gerontology and BS in Health Studies from Eastern Illinois University.
Municipal Clerks Training Institute Committee: Jo Anne Ragona is the City Clerk of Darien and has 23 years of experience in municipal government. She holds a BA from DePaul University.
P-20 Council: Jane Anne Russell is a union president and a Professional Development Instructor at Governors State University. She has served as Chair of Illinois Federation of Teachers P-20 Education Policy Council.
Real Estate Administration and Disciplinary Board: Salvador J. Lopez of Chicago is an attorney at the Legal Assistance Foundation, helping low-income residents, minorities and senior citizens in real estate and consumer rights related cases. He received his B.A. from University of Illinois at Chicago and his J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law, and is also a U.S. Navy veteran who assisted in both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sex Offender Management Board: Shawn Albert is a Bloomington police officer with experience working on sex offender cases in collaboration with the Illinois Attorney General's Office and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Social Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Taskforce: Valerie Lies is the president and CEO of Donors Forum, an association that promotes philanthropy and a strong nonprofit sector in Illinois. She was named by the Nonprofit Times as one of the sector's "Top 50 Power and Influence Leaders" in the United States. Chinwe Onyeagoro is the co-founder and CEO of O-H Community Partners, an economic development firm. She is also the co-founder and editor of New Equity Business, a small business financing portal. She is also a graduate of Harvard University and is an active member of several Chicago-area civic organizations. Patricia Morrissey, a manager at Groupon, a board member of the Corporate Responsibility Group of Greater Chicago and an advisor to Impact Engine, an accelerator for impact entrepreneurs. Brandon Bodor is the executive director of the Serve Illinois Commission and is a U.S. Army Veteran, having served in in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is a graduate of West Point and is pursuing his MBA from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business.
State University Retirement System (SURS) - Paul R. T. Johnson Jr. is an investment expert and owner of LSU Trading. He is a former CEO at Boston Cabot LLC and a former member of the board of directors for the Chicago Board of Trade. Craig McCrohon is a partner at Burke, Warren, MacKay and Serritella where he specializes in corporate, securities and mergers and acquisitions law. He is a graduate of Harvard University and holds a JD/MBA from the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School of Business. Richard Figueroa is the director of Capital Markets for The Opus Group. He is a graduate of Yale University and holds a MBA and a Master's degree in Public Policy from the University of Chicago.
Tri-City Regional Port District Board: Edward Hagnauer is a current member of the Tri-City Port District Board and is the Mayor of Granite City. He served on the Madison County Board for seven years, and worked as a Granite City firefighter and fire chief for nearly 30 years.
Tri-County River Valley Development Authority: Laraine E. Bryson has served as president of the Tri-County (Peoria) Urban League for nearly 20 years and holds a J.D. from the St. Louis University School of Law. Michael Thomas Everett is the business manager for IBEW Local #34 and serves on the board of directors of several Peoria-area community organizations including the Heart of IL United Way and the Peoria Economic Development Council.
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