State Fair Director Also Steps Down

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Bruce Rauner today accepted the resignation of Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Phil Nelson. Nelson will remain employed with the Department for the next 30 days to help with the transition. State Fair Director Patrick Buchen has also stepped down.

"I appreciate Director Nelson's commitment to agriculture and his service to the people of Illinois," Governor Rauner said. "I wish him all the best."

Rauner appointed current Department of Agriculture Chief of Staff Warren Goetsch as Acting Director.  A search for a permanent replacement is underway.

CHICAGO - Governor Bruce Rauner announced he has made appointments to the Illinois Gaming Board, the Illinois Workforce Investment Board and the Executive Ethics Commission.

Name: Teresa H. Bartels

Position: Member - Executive Ethics Commission

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Teresa Bartels to the Illinois Executive Ethics Commission. She brings an extensive background in non-profit work to the board.

Currently, Bartels serves as President of the Gateway for Cancer Research in Schaumburg, which is a member of the Cancer Treatment Centers of America. In this role, Bartels leads a team of 14 to raise funds and grant money for cancer clinical trials. She also owns her own strategic consulting company, Hallbart Consulting, LLC, where she provides leadership training and coaching to organizations and individuals. Her previous experience includes four years at United Way Worldwide and more than 16 years at Complete Business Services of Illinois and Minnesota.

Bartels sits on the Newman University Board of Trustees, the United Way Worldwide International Donor Assisted Giving Advisory Board, the United Way of Lake County Women's Leadership Council, and the University Center of Lake County Founding Board.

Bartels earned a bachelor's degree in public relations from Northern Arizona University and a master's degree in organizational leadership from Dominican University. She lives in Mundelein.

Name: Ryan Ruskin

Position: Member - Executive Ethics Commission

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Ryan Ruskin to the Illinois Executive Ethics Commission. He brings more than 20 years of private sector experience to the commission.

Ruskin is currently the President and COO of The Ruskin Group, a packaging supplies company. This family-owned manufacturing business has been in operation for more than 120 years. Ruskin also worked as the Executive Vice President for Sterling Packaging where he was responsible for general management of the folding carton packaging company. His other experience includes consulting for A.T. Kearney.

Ruskin is dedicated to the Chicago area and sits on many boards including the Heartland Alliance, the Field Museum, the Chicago Botanic Garden and the Chicago Humanities Festival.

Ruskin earned a bachelor's degree in history from Princeton University and an MBA from Northwestern University. He lives in Chicago.

Name: Lee A. Gould

Position: Member - Illinois Gaming Board

Governor Bruce Rauner has reappointed Lee Gould to the Illinois Gaming Board. He has served on the board since 2011 and brings close to 20 years of legal experience to the position.

Currently, Gould is a managing member of Gould & Pakter Associates, LLC, where he has worked since 2004. He renders and provides financial and litigation consulting services to clients. His areas of concentration include forensic accounting and analysis, financial damages determinations, and business valuations. He has previously worked for Russell Novak & Company, LLP and Rome Associates, LLC, where he was a partner.

Gould is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and the American Bar Association. He is a former board member and past chairperson of the Illinois CPA Society, as well as the former president and current board member of the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois.

Gould is a graduate of the University of Illinois and earned his law degree from Loyola University of Chicago. He lives in Chicago.

Name: Grover C. Webb

Position: Member - Illinois Workforce Investment Board

Governor Bruce Rauner has reappointed Grover Webb to the Illinois Workforce Investment Board. Webb has served on the board since 2010.

Webb is a self-employed partner of Tanglefoot Ranch in Simpson, Illinois. He has run the day-to-day operations of the livestock and grain farm for most of his life. He honorably served in the U.S. Navy Reserves from 1967-1970.

Webb is incredibly engaged in his community and sits on a number of boards and councils. He is a member of the University of Illinois Dixon Springs Ag Center Advisory Board, the Main Street Golconda Board and the Pope-Hardin Farm Bureau Board. He also serves as Chairman of the Bay Creek Conservancy District.

Webb earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois.

PORT BYRON, Ill. - State Rep. Mike Smiddy, D-Hillsdale, joined officials from AT&T Monday to recognize the Tri-County Opportunities Council, a Rock Falls-based community service provider, and present a grant that will help the organization continue working to expand access to job training, educational opportunities and assistance for working families.

"The Tri-County Opportunities Council provides thousands of local families with resources to help them make ends meet during difficult times, and I'm thankful AT&T values their contributions to our community as much as I do," Smiddy said. "The governor's budget veto has threatened a number of important services, but we're fortunate that dedicated organizations like The Tri-County Opportunities Council are continuing to put the needs of local families first. This award is in recognition of the important role they play in our community."

Des Moines, September 15, 2015– The Iowa Judicial Branch will join the Iowa Department of Education and The Iowa State Bar Association to present a Constitution Day program for Iowa high school students on Thursday, September 17. Students from Panorama High School, Des Moines Scavo High School, and Hampton-Dumont High School will attend the Iowa Supreme Court oral arguments that begin at 9:00 a.m. Ballard High School students will attend the afternoon oral arguments that begin at 1:00 p.m. Both sessions are in the Supreme Court Courtroom on the fourth floor of the Judicial Branch Building and open to the public.

"It's very important that Iowa students understand the significance of the Constitution and their duty to be informed United States citizens," Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise said. "One way we do this is through Constitution Day activities, including our student-centered partnership with the Iowa Judicial Branch. If we want our students to graduate prepared for success in college and the workforce, they must have the knowledge and skills to be active, engaged citizens."

For students unable to attend the oral arguments, the program includes an online orientation video that students in classrooms across the state will be encouraged to watch before live streaming the morning or afternoon oral arguments.

"The justices of the supreme court enjoy welcoming students to see the work of the judicial branch of their government first hand on Constitution Day," Chief Justice Cady said. "It is an excellent opportunity for high school students to learn about the importance of the Iowa and United States Constitutions. We should all take time during the day to reflect on the genius of the 39 delegates to the constitutional convention who signed the U.S. Constitution 228 years ago and the 55 Iowans who signed the Iowa Constitution 70 years later."

The nine-minute orientation video, entitled "We the People: The Iowa Constitution and Our Courts," begins with Chief Justice Mark Cady addressing the importance of the Iowa Constitution and how the courts use the document to resolve disputes between Iowans. Then, Justice Daryl Hecht explains how a person can appeal a case to the supreme court and what happens during oral arguments. The video is available on the Iowa Judicial Branch website at www.iowacourts.gov/About_the_Courts/Supreme_Court/Constitution_Day

Constitution Day recognizes the ratification of the Constitution of the United States on September 17, 1787. In 1911, the State of Iowa was the first state to celebrate Constitution Day. In 2004, legislation established the Federal observance of Constitution Day.

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