02 Nov 2012

Scott County Board of Supervisors Tentative Agenda Nov 5-9

By Chris Berge
02 Nov 2012

Thune, Grassley Press for Review of Foreign Investment in A123 Bankruptcy Financing Deal

By Grassley Press

WASHINGTON, D.C.–U.S. Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) continue to press for answers about the failed stimulus-funded battery company, A123. Thune and Grassley, who have taken the lead in seeking answers from both the Obama administration and A123 on the use of taxpayer dollars to fund the now-bankrupt green energy company, today sent a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. The letter outlines the Senators' concerns about reports that China-based Wanxiang Group Corp. intends to provide debtor-in-possession bankruptcy financing of A123, which has now received approximately $130 million of a $249 million stimulus grant and numerous Department of Defense contracts. Thune and Grassley's letter presses Geithner, who has oversight of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), to protect U.S. military and taxpayer interests while reviewing the potential transaction.

"A123 has received millions of taxpayer dollars to develop technology and intellectual property that should not simply be shipped to China," said Thune. "Considering A123's grid energy storage activities and active military contracts, the Obama administration must thoroughly scrutinize any transaction that would lead to A123 being owned by a foreign company. After several attempts, Senator Grassley and I have yet to receive straightforward answers from the administration on taxpayer-backed A123. Given the urgency of the bankruptcy process, we expect the administration to respond to our questions without delay."

"When Senator Thune and I started asking questions about A123, the Department of Energy promised it was monitoring every aspect of A123's financial plans to make sure the American people's interests were protected," said Grassley. "It looks as if that effort has failed. A Chinese company could still gain access to technology supported by U.S. taxpayers and developed in part to help the Department of Defense. Since the Administration so far seems unconcerned about this possibility, this review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States is the last line of defense. Without that intervention, the benefit of U.S. taxpayer dollars and military technology might go right to China. That can't stand."

On August 14, 2012, Thune and Grassley sent a letter to the Department of Energy after A123 announced a $450 million investment deal with Wanxiang to express concern about tax dollars going to a struggling company. There were clear indications that A123 was having financial problems even as the administration continued to pour millions of taxpayer dollars into the failing company.

On October 9, 2012, Thune and Grassley sent a letter to A123 expressing their concerns regarding the company's potential agreement to grant Wanxiang majority control of the company. On October 16, 2012, A123 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and appeared to withdraw from the deal with Wanxiang. However, recent reports indicate that Waxiang intends to provide a $50 million in debtor-in-possession loan for A123 and intends to bid on A123's assets as part of the bankruptcy proceedings, which would likely require CFIUS approval.

 

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02 Nov 2012

Grassley Presses Holder to Refer Whistleblower Reviews to Inspector General

By Grassley Press
WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, today pressed Attorney General Eric Holder to delegate a presidential-mandated review of FBI whistleblower protections to the department's Inspector General.

Grassley said that the Justice Department has an abysmal record when it comes to rectifying FBI whistleblower cases.

The letter from Grassley to Holder comes after an October 10 directive from the President that is intended to protect whistleblowers with national security clearances against retaliation.  The directive requires a review within 180 days from the Attorney General in consultation with the Special Counsel and FBI employees.  The letter questions the potential conflict of interest created by having the Attorney General review the department's performance.

"There is no logical reason to empower people who have such a horrendous record on whistleblowers with the responsibility to determine whether the current process helps FBI whistleblowers," Grassley said. "The Attorney General and his Deputy have already allowed cases to languish for far too long.  One case has been sitting at the Justice Department for more than 10 years, with no end in sight.  That's unacceptable."

Grassley is a strong supporter of whistleblower protections.  He is an original cosponsor of the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act which bolsters the 1989 Whistleblower Protection Act after it had been weakened by rulings of the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.  An amended version of this bill passed the House of Representatives on September 28, and may be considered by the Senate after the election.  Grassley had co-authored the 1989 law with Senator Carl Levin for government employees who stand up and speak out against fraud, waste and mismanagement.  He also pushed then-Attorney General Janet Reno and President Bill Clinton to implement whistleblower protections for FBI employees that were authorized by Congress, but never implemented.  As a result of Grassley's work, President Clinton issued a presidential memorandum in 1997 ordering the Attorney General to create a whistleblower adjudication and appeals process.

Grassley also authored the 1986 update of the False Claims Act with qui tam provisions to empower private citizens who had information about fraudulent activity by government contractors to bring wrongdoing forward and sue in the name of the government.  To date, these whistleblower provisions have recovered more than $30 billion for taxpayers that otherwise would be lost to fraud.

In 2009, Grassley and Senator Patrick Leahy won passage of the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act which made the most significant improvements to the False Claims Act since 1986.  The law restores the scope and applicability of the False Claims Act where it had been limited by court decisions.  This effort also revised criminal laws to help prosecute mortgage fraud, securities fraud, and complex financial crimes that led to the 2008 financial crisis.

In addition, Grassley authored the 2006 overhaul of the IRS whistleblower program to fight major tax fraud.

Here's a copy of the text of the letter.  A signed version of the letter can be found here.

 

November 1, 2012

Via Electronic Transmission

The Honorable Eric H. Holder

Attorney General

U.S. Department of Justice

950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC  20530

 

Dear Attorney General Holder:

I write today regarding the recent Presidential Policy Directive, PPD-19 (herein Directive), entitled "Protecting Whistleblower with Access to Classified Information" that was issued by the President on October 10, 2012.[1] This Directive is intended to protect whistleblowers with national security clearances against retaliation.  Section E of the Directive requires you, in consultation with the Special Counsel and employees of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), to provide a report to the President assessing the effectiveness of the regulations that protect FBI whistleblowers.  While I welcome the Directive and the effort to provide some level of whistleblower protection to government employees in the Intelligence Community, I am deeply concerned about the current state of these protections for FBI employees and the Justice Department's role in adjudicating retaliation claims brought forward by FBI whistleblowers.

As you are aware, Section 2303 of Title 5 defines prohibited personnel practices in the FBI, and Part 27 of Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations lays out the process for investigating and adjudicating claims of retaliation filed by FBI employees.  This process was created following a Presidential Memorandum issued by President Clinton in 1997.[2] These regulations detail an investigatory phase conducted by the FBI's Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) or the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General (OIG), an adjudicatory phase conducted by the Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management (OARM), and an appeal phase conducted by the Deputy Attorney General.  The regulations also proscribe timelines for each phase of the process to ensure that cases do not linger without a resolution.  Unfortunately, as history has shown, the Department has been woeful in meeting these timelines.

Specifically, I remain concerned about the treatment of two FBI whistleblowers whose cases have languished for years at the Department, namely, the cases of Jane Turner and Robert Kobus.  In 2002, Special Agent Turner exposed misconduct by FBI agents when she revealed that they removed "souvenirs" from New York's Ground Zero, the site of the 9-11 terrorist attacks.  A decade later, and after a federal jury has ruled in her favor finding discrimination on the part of the FBI, Agent Turner's case has been continually stalled with appeals and is still open?most recently after Deputy Attorney General Cole remanded the case for additional proceedings before OARM.  Mr. Kobus's case has also faced unwarranted delays.  Kobus blew the whistle on timecard fraud in the FBI in 2007 and the OIG found that the FBI retaliated against him for his actions.  Despite the unequivocal findings of the OIG, Kobus' case remains unresolved after five years.  Simply put, the delays in both of these cases call into question the Department's ability, and willingness, to follow through on FBI whistleblower cases in a fair and timely fashion.

The Directive requires you to complete the review of the FBI whistleblower process within 180 days.  Given the lengthy delays in retaliation cases that are still pending before the Department, and given the role that the Deputy Attorney General has played in these cases, I have serious misgivings about the ability of the Department to fairly review the FBI whistleblower process and to do so within the 180 day timeframe.

The Directive's requirement that the review involve the Special Counsel and FBI employees?which should, at the very least, include those who currently have whistleblower complaints pending before OARM?creates the possibility of a conflict of interest in reviewing the Department's performance.  Accordingly, I ask that you delegate this review to the Department's Inspector General.  The OIG would offer a more objective and accountable analysis of the regulations prescribed in the Directive. Further, it would allow you to continue to focus resources on closing these cases that continue to languish before the Department, instead of devoting resources to this review.

I strongly support whistleblower protections and will continue to work hard to see that all FBI employees who reveal fraud, waste, and wrongdoing receive fair and equitable treatment at the FBI and within the Department.  This Directive, if implemented properly, could provide temporary relief for whistleblowers within the Intelligence Community.  However, the Department has a lot to prove to FBI employees, the Congress, and the American people that whistleblowers will be treated fairly.  As a first step toward this, I encourage you to strongly consider my request to designate the OIG to conduct the review of FBI whistleblower protections as outlined in the President's Directive.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Grassley

Ranking Member

 

Cc:       The Honorable Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice

The Honorable Patrick Leahy, Chairman


[1] The White House, Presidential Policy Directive 19: Protecting Whistleblowers with Access to Classified Information, (October 10, 2012), http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/ppd/ppd-19.pdf.

2 Memorandum on Delegation of Responsibilities Concerning FBI Employees Under the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, 62 Fed. Reg. 23,123 (April 14, 1997), available at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-1997-04-28/pdf/97-10984.pdf.



[1] The White House, Presidential Policy Directive 19: Protecting Whistleblowers with Access to Classified Information, (October 10, 2012), http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/ppd/ppd-19.pdf.

[2] Memorandum on Delegation of Responsibilities Concerning FBI Employees Under the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, 62 Fed. Reg. 23,123 (April 14, 1997), available at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-1997-04-28/pdf/97-10984.pdf.

02 Nov 2012

G. I. Holiday Jukebox opens Nov. 15 at The Old Creamery Theatre

By Shelley Klimes
Amana - Join The Old Creamery Theatre for an all-new show filled with favorite holiday and popular music from the 1940s. G. I. Holiday Jukebox, a patriotic Christmas musical, opens on The Old Creamery's Main Stage Thursday, Nov. 15 at 3 p.m. and runs through Dec. 16. You'll hear songs like "Baby It's Cold Outside," "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "Moonlight in Vermont" "Button Up Your Overcoat" and many others to warm your heart.

The cast of G. I. Holiday Jukebox consists of Deborah Kennedy of West Amana, Sean McCall of Marengo, T.J. Besler of Manchester and Stacia McKee of Coralville. Musicians are Tim Daugherty of Cedar Rapids (on piano), Riley Scheetz of Cedar Falls (on bass) and Ryan Milligan of West Amana (on drums).

Directed by Tom Milligan of West Amana with musical direction by Shari Rhoads of Coralville, G. I. Holiday Jukebox is rated Theatre G. Tickets are $27 for adults and $17.50 for students. Show times are Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.

Walk-ins are welcome if seats are still available. Reservations are recommended. Call the box office at 800-35-AMANA (352-6262) or visit us online at oldcreamery.com. Student rush tickets are $12. No reservations accepted for rush tickets. Come to the box office no earlier than 30 minutes before a performance for this special rate. A student ID is required.

The Old Creamery Theatre Company is a not-for-profit professional theatre founded in 1971 in Garrison, Iowa. The company has been bringing live, professional theatre to the people of Iowa and the Midwest for 41 years.
02 Nov 2012

ESGR Accepting Nominations for 2013 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award

By Illinois National Guard PAO

Guardsmen and Reservists Encouraged to Nominate Supportive Employers for Nation's Top Honor

ARLINGTON, VA. (11/01/2012)(readMedia)-- Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense agency, is now accepting nominations for the 2013 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. The Freedom Award is the Department of Defense's highest award presented to civilian employers for support of their employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve. Nominations may be submitted by Guardsmen, Reservists, or family members acting on their behalf, at www.FreedomAward.mil through January 21, 2013.

Nearly one million Americans serve in the Guard and Reserve, making up almost one-half of the nation's total military. For more than 10 years, these Citizen Warriors have responded to unprecedented national security demands and humanitarian missions spanning the globe. The civilian employers of Guardsmen and Reservists have shared in their service to our nation by standing firmly behind employees, providing essential support and greater peace of mind.

"Employers of every size and industry continue to go to extraordinary lengths to demonstrate their unwavering commitment to employees serving in the Guard and Reserve," said James G. Rebholz, National Chair, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. "I urge all Guard and Reserve Service members who have benefited from their employer's support to nominate that employer for this most prestigious award. A Freedom Award nomination allows service members to acknowledge and thank their employer for the essential role they play in supporting their military career and in our nation's defense."

Each year, up to 15 of the nation's most supportive employers are selected as recipients and honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. Past Freedom Award recipients supportive measures have included arranging childcare services for deployed employees, sponsoring trips to visit injured employees, and working longer hours to cover the shifts of employees at military training.

About ESGR and the Freedom Award:

The Freedom Award was instituted in 1996 under the auspices of ESGR to recognize exceptional support from the employer community. In the years since, 175 employers have been honored with the award. Established as a DoD agency 40 years ago, ESGR develops and maintains employer support for Guard and Reserve service. ESGR advocates relevant initiatives, recognizes outstanding support, increases awareness of applicable laws, and resolves conflict between service members and employers. Paramount to ESGR's mission is encouraging employment of Guardsmen and Reservists who bring integrity, global perspective and proven leadership to the civilian workforce.

02 Nov 2012

DubuqueFest Fine Arts Fair Call For Artists

By Paula Neuhaus

[DUBUQUE, IA] DubuqueFest Fine Arts Festival is now accepting applications for the 34th annual juried fine art fair scheduled for May 19 & 20 in Dubuque, Iowa. All interested fine artists and fine craft artisans are encouraged to apply. The juried fine art fair features the work of 80 artists & artisans from across the region. $1000 cash prizes are awarded to Best in Show, Second Place, & Third Place during an artist's appreciation reception on Saturday, May 20 at the Dubuque Museum of Art.

Dubuque is quickly building a reputation as an arts & culture destination in the Midwest. Through successful arts programming and dedicated city partnerships the DubuqueFest Fine Arts Festival grows along with it drawing lovers of fine art and history to the oldest festival in Iowa's first city. IMPORTANT INFORMATION

  • Application deadline is February 15, 2013
  • Application fee: $110
  • Jury fee: $15
  • Two Emerging Artist Scholarships are available.

Applications are available on the DubuqueFest website: www.dubuquefest.org. To request one by mail contact Paula at 563.564.5290 or paula@dubuquefest.org.

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02 Nov 2012

Angel Tree Program Begins on Saturday

By Holly Nomura
02 Nov 2012

4th Annual QCI Fundraising Breakfast

By QC Interfaith

Reserve your place at this year's 4th Annual QCI Fundraising Breakfast

"Honoring Our Founders, Embracing Our Future"


Join Quad Cities Interfaith on Tuesday, November 13th, 2012 for QC Interfaith's 4th Annual Fundraising Breakfast at the St. Ambrose Rogalski Center from 7:30am - 8:30am. This year's theme is "Honoring our Founders and Embracing Our Future" Reserve your seat or table of 8 for your congregation. There is no cost for the breakfast, but this is a fundraising event, and there will be an ask for individuals to support our work. As you know, funding for the work we do always difficult to come by and the more sustained individual donors we have, the stronger we become. This is a meaningful one hour event- short but powerful!

This year's theme is to highlight our work ,but to reflect on how this organization came to be and to
honor four of the leaders who helped create QCI in 1986. This year's leaders to be honored or remembered are:

Reverend Ken Kuenning, Pastor Emeritus, Church of Peace in Rock Island 

Monsignor Marvin Mottet, former pastor, Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport

Reverend William Grimes, former pastor, Second Baptist Church, Rock Island

The Honorable Thomas Kilbride

New this year! We encourage individuals, community groups and congregations to take an ad in our Ad Book, which is another way to show your support for QCI's work. Pricing is as follows: Breakfast sponsor $500.00, Full page $350.00, Half page $200.00, and Business Card $100.00. To place your ad, please call Beth at QCI 563-322-4910 ASAP.

This is always a popular event so we strongly urge you to make your reservations as soon as you can by calling 563.322.4910. Can't wait to see you!


What's New at QCI

Quad Cities Interfaith held a Fire of Faith Gathering on October 25, 2012 at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport, Iowa. Our event brought people of many faiths together to work on Rekindling our Communities, Rekindling our Economy, and Rekindling our Democracy. The event was a re-commitment ceremony for the 20 member congregations and explanation of the Fire of Faith Campaign kicking off in 2013. Through Fire of Faith QCI will provide intensive support and training for members to reinvigorate their congregations and strengthen their connections to the faith community in the Quad Cities. For more information, contact Leslie at QCI. 

Pictured below is Reverend David Bigsby, Gamaliel of IL, as he addresses our event by informing us of the introduction of the Fire of Faith Principles. Thank you Rev. Bigsby for coming to our event. We appreciate that you could be apart of our program.


QCI Issue Updates


Transportation and Jobs Equity
As part of  Gamaliel of Illinois, the task force is working to secure a State wide Project Labor Agreement (PLA) from the contractors,unions and Illinois Department of Transportation that will include requirements for diversity in the work force on all transportation projects in Illinois. The Task Force is also looking to build a local monitoring committee in early 2013, that will hold accountable IL DOT on the Community Benefits Agreement principles it agreed to for the passenger rail project coming to the Quad Cities. Our next meeting is Wednesday, November 14th at 10:00am at Church of Peace-12th and 12th in Rock Island. Join us! For information, please contact Reverend David Geenen, Task Force Chairman at daveg@15thavenuechristainchurch.org


Healthcare

Imagine this situation:  Your six-year-old child has a fever and a sore throat.  You're worried, so you take him to the doctor. You say, "I notice he talks little.  Little by little and he has difficulty eating and swallowing."  The doctor asks you, "Does he have a sore throat?" Pretty straightforward, right?
But now imagine the same situation when your first language isn't English, and you have to bring someone, in this case a family friend, to interpret for you, and this is how the friend translates what you told the doctor:  "She says he is talking like, like lazy, whatever he says all the time, and plus he is not eating at all."  Then, when the doctor asks about the sore throat, your no doubt well-meaning friend keeps interrupting and doesn't let you answer the question.
Research is starting to show that medical communication problems caused by language barriers are not only distressing, they are also potentially dangerous.
Medical interpretation and translation are key health care services in reducing health disparities.  There are many other issues of disparity, of course: geography, ethnicity, physical and mental limitations, but the disparities caused by language services in our communities are the current focus of the QCI Health Equity Task Force.
Our next meeting is Thursday, November 29, 2012, at 6:30 PM in the QCI office.  We will be providing an orientation for new members on the work we have done to date and our proposed plans for 2013.  Please join us.  We hope to have at least one representative from every congregational member of QCI as we address the challenges of improving health equity in the Quad Cities!

Immigration

The immigration task force will working on their issue and action for 2013 at their meeting at 5:30pm on Tuesday, November 27th at the Village Inn on Harrison Street in Davenport. We are looking for every member congregation to send a representative to this task force. Please call QCI office at 563.322.4910 for more information.

Education Equity

QCI is in the process of developing a round table on education and is looking for clergy and community leaders to join together to establish round table that will identify and advance local issues and connect to regional and national education  issues. If  you are interested please email us at qcinterfaith@gmail.com. A kick off meeting will be announced in November!

 

Community Events



Continuing Series -Race Matters at St. Ambrose University
Friday, November 9th, 7:30 pm Concert, and November 13th, 7 pm United States Uprising: The Self-Emancipation of Slaves and the Spread of Jubilee after the Civil War.  
For more info and Race Matters updates visit: www.sau.edu





Upcoming Dates



Gamaliel of Illinois Leadership & Legislative Day
Springfield Illinois

G of IL leaders and organizers will meet in Springfield on Tuesday, Nov. 27, for a morning leader's meeting and afternoon visits with legislators.

We will begin a discussion about base building (core team development), schedule a retreat of leaders from across Illinois in January, discuss the state wide jobs
and minority hiring issues, and the state wide education issues.



Tuesday, December 11th - 6:30pm 

QCI Leadership Assembly

St Mary's Church , 516 Fillmore, Davenport 
This will be our final meeting of the year! There will be some work around strategic planning 2013 but mostly fellowship !
Come and join us for a meal together,  to reflect on 2012 and
renew our commitment to making 2013 our best year yet!
01 Nov 2012

Gov. Branstad denies four applications for commutation

By Office of the Governor of the State of Iowa

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad today denied the following applications for commutation:

Nikkolas Kion Kemp, age 29, committed his crime on November 19, 2001 in Polk County.  He is currently serving a sentence for first-degree robbery.

DeMarcus Montrell McGee, age 33, committed his crimes on January 22, 1998 in Black Hawk County.  He is currently serving a sentence for first-degree robbery.

Andrew Lee Stephens, age 30, committed his crime on May 12, 2003 in Black Hawk County.  He is currently serving a sentence for first-degree robbery.

Evelyn Lou Tangie, age 67, committed her crime on July 27, 1996 in Wapello County.  She is currently serving a sentence for murder second-degree.

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01 Nov 2012

Governor Quinn Announces Executive Appointments

By Erin Wilson

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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