CHICAGO - Governor Bruce Rauner announced today he has nominated James Dimas as the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services and Anna Hui as the Assistant Director of the Illinois Department of Labor. He has also appointed the chairman of the Illinois Housing Development Authority
Name: James Dimas
Position: Secretary - Illinois Department of Human Services
Governor Bruce Rauner has selected James Dimas to become the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). Dimas is an experienced leader in transforming human services departments at the state and local level, including Illinois. He was a primary architect in the consolidation of the current agency.
Dimas worked in a number of roles at IDHS including the Acting Director of Community Operations. He also led strategic planning and performance management, as well as, the welfare-to-work system. As the Acting Director of Community Operations he led one of the nation's most successful welfare-to-work initiatives by increasing the monthly job retention rate among TANF clients to 96 percent. He also decreased the TANF caseload and food stamp error rate. Dimas also led IDHS' move to performance-based budgeting and oversaw the transformation of using performance knowledge to improve program quality.
Dimas began working for the State of Illinois in 1995 on the Governor's Task Force on Human Services Reform under Governor Edgar. He led the development and marketing for the consolidation effort into the agency's current organizational structure. IDHS was consolidated into the state's largest agency in 1997 from seven previously separate health and social services agencies.
Currently, Dimas is the owner and CEO of Dimas Consulting, Inc. It provides performance management, and human services policy, programming and administration consulting services. He is one of two accountability agents appointed by a federal court to oversee major reforms of Georgia's child welfare system. He also has designed reform campaigns for the Chicago Housing Authority.
Dimas is a graduate of Knox College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science. He holds a master's degree from the University of Texas in public affairs. Dimas also attended Harvard University's Executive Program for government performance.
Name: Anna Hui
Position: Assistant Director - Illinois Department of Labor
Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Anna Hui as the Assistant Director to the Illinois Department of Labor. She brings years of experience at the state and federal level to the position.
Hui worked for the U.S. Department of Labor from 2002-2009 as an Associate Deputy Secretary and as a special assistant to the CFO. In her role as Associate Deputy Secretary, Hui worked on outreach programs for people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent and other historically underserved communities. She was also a member of the senior executive service on the management team for Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. As the special assistant to the CFO, she oversaw legislative review and proposals, the procurement process, human resource matters, accounting compliance and the CFO's activities in the Asian-Pacific American communities.
Hui is an Illinois native, and has previously worked for the State of Illinois under two governors. She worked for Governor Edgar for two years as the special assistant to the governor on Asian-American affairs. For Governor Ryan, she was a senior-member of the Washington, D.C. policy management team.
Currently, Hui is a senior adviser and policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation. She also serves as the chief of staff to former Secretary Chao. She oversees planning, preparation, research, and activities for the secretary.
Hui earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Illinois. She holds a law degree from Loyola University of Chicago. Hui also has a master's degree in management and an MBA from the University of Maryland.
Name: Joseph P. Galvan
Position: Chairman - Illinois Housing Development Authority
Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Joseph P. Galvan to serve as chairman of the Illinois Housing Development Authority. He brings more than 30 years of public and private sector experience to the position.
Galvan currently serves as Principal of Galvan and Associates, LLC, which is a housing development and consulting practice located in Chicago and Washington, D.C. His prior work includes eight years at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). President George W. Bush appointed him to oversee HUD operations in the Midwest region. He was a liaison to elected officials at every level of government and oversaw a $16 billion federal budget. Under his direction, the Midwest was consistently the best performing region in the country.
Galvan's other work includes consulting with Olmeca Planning Consultants and city planning for the City of Country Club Hills, the Village of Franklin Park and the Village of Maywood.
Galvan received a bachelor's degree in economics and a graduate's degree in urban planning from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also received a graduate's degree in philosophy from Loyola University Chicago. Galvan lives in Elgin.
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