Fills Positions on Capital Development Board, Developmental Disabilities Council and Others

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today announced a number of key appointments to the state's boards and commissions. Today's announcement continues the Governor's commitment to making Illinois government more accountable, transparent and effective.

"The individuals I am appointing are committed to serving the people of our state," Governor Quinn said. "These appointees will work hard every day to move Illinois forward."

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

Appointments made by the Governor include :

Advisory Council on Spinal Cord And Head Injuries

James Young of Chicago is a Physician at Rehab Associates of Chicago. He holds an M.D. from Indiana University School of Medicine and an A.B. from Indiana University.

Capital Development Board

Miles Beatty III (reappointment) of Lake Zurich is President of Beatty Decorating Co. He attended Lake Forest College.

Peter O'Brien (reappointment) of Chicago is the Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of MADO Management LP. He attended Loyola University.

Glyn Ramage (reappointment) of Millstadt is a retired construction worker and Business Manager at the Southwestern Illinois Laborers' District Council.

Employment and Economic Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities Task Force

Rene Luna of Chicago is a Community Organizer and Advocate with Access Living. He holds a B.A. from DePaul University.

Dale A. Morrissey of Champaign is CEO of the Developmental Services Center. He has 35 years of experience in disability services and holds a B.S. and an M.S. from Eastern Illinois University. 

HIV/AIDS Response Review Panel

Lam Nguyen Ho of Chicago is staff attorney for Equip for Equality. He holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School, an M. St. from Oxford University and an M.A. and a B.A. from Brown University.

Illinois Community College Board

Dr. Teresa Garate (reappointment) of Chicago is the President and CEO of Neumann Family Services and was formerly the Assistant Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Jonathan Jackson of Chicago is a Professor at Chicago State University. He holds an MBA from Northwestern University and a B.S. from North Carolina A&T State University.

Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities

JJ Hanley of Wilmette is the Executive Director of JJ's List. She holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College.

Kathryn Lavin of Chicago is Director of Creative Strategies at Neumann Family Services. She holds an MSW from Jane Addams College of Social Work and a B.A. from Boston College.

Jose A Mendez of Chicago is Director/Employment Specialist for CARES Chicago.  He holds an M.Ed. and a B.A. from University of Illinois at Chicago.

Illinois Independent Tax Tribunal 

Brian Barov of Skokie is an Assistant Attorney General and Deputy Division Chief of the Civil Appeals Division. He holds a J.D. from the IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law and also graduated from the College of William & Mary.

State Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council

Leslee Stein-Spencer of Chicago is Director of Medical Administration and Regulatory Compliance, Chicago Fire Department and a registered nurse. She holds an M.A. from the National College of Education and a B.A. from DePaul University.

CHICAGO - Governor Quinn today released the following statement on the passing of Richard Calica, former Director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) who led the department from December 2011 to November 2013.

"It is with great sadness today that we announce the passing of Richard Calica, a true public servant in the state of Illinois.

"Richard Calica was a dedicated advocate for our most vulnerable children. He always put their safety and well-being first.

"I send my condolences to Richard's family and friends. They are in our thoughts and prayers during this most difficult of times."

On Tuesday, 12/17/13 at approximately 8:25 a.m., the Scott County Sheriff's Office took a report from a concerned citizen of a suspicious person and vehicle near the Neil Armstrong Elementary School in Park View. The suspicious person and vehicle resembled some of the same characteristics as those reported recently in rural Scott County and Davenport. The vehicle was gone upon the Deputies' arrival, but the citizen had obtained a plate number.

The subject was found to be from the Clinton area. A Scott County Detective along with the assistance of a Clinton Police Detective followed up on the reported information. It was found that the subject had legitimate business in the area and is no longer being looked at as a suspicious person.

The Scott County Sheriff's Office appreciates the efforts of the citizen in this circumstance and encourages citizens to be vigilant and immediately report suspicious information, especially related to activity around schools or involving children.

Larry Minard, Chairman of the Scott County Board of Supervisors announced today that Scott County has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for Scott County's current FY14 Budget.

Scott County is one of only two Iowa counties (Scott and Linn County) to hold the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. The County has received this award for the last twenty six consecutive years. Only 11 of the 1,488 governmental units in the State of Iowa currently hold this honor.

Larry Minard stated that this award is the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting. Its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by the elected officials and management of Scott County and reflects their commitment to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting.

In order to receive the award, Scott County had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity's budget serves as 1) A policy document 2) A financial plan 3) An operations guide 4) Communications device. Budget documents must be rated "proficient" in all four categories to receive this award.

For budgets, including fiscal period 2012, the most recent year data is available, over 1,340 governmental entities have received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award nationwide. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide excellent examples for other governments throughout North America.

Larry Minard stated that the Board designates the achievement of this certification as a high priority. The Board expressed their appreciation to Dee F. Bruemmer, County Administrator and to the County's designated budget analysts and support staff for their work and professional guidance in helping the county to obtain this governmental budgeting honor.

The budget analysts and support staff members that developed the 2013 budget are listed below:

• Ed Rivers Health Director
• Pam Bennett Office Administrator, Sheriff's Department
• Chris Berge Administrative Assistant
• Grace Cervantes Operations Manager, Recorder's Office
• Lori Elam Community Services Director
• Tim Huey Planning & Development Director
• Craig Hufford Financial Management Supervisor, Treasurer's Office
• David Farmer Budget Manager
• Roland Caldwell Operations Manager, Auditor's Office
• Kathy Walsh Office Administrator, Attorney's Office

The GFOA is a non-profit professional association serving over 17,800 government finance professionals throughout North America. GFOA's Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program is the only national awards program in governmental budgeting.

For more information on this press release please contact:

David Farmer, CPA, Budget Manager
Scott County Administrative Center
600 West 4th Street
Davenport, IA 52801-1003
563-326-8651

Stephen J. Gauthier
Government Finance Officers Association
180 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60601
312-977-9700