Governor Announces Appointments to Illinois Bicentennial Commission

CHICAGO - Governor Bruce Rauner announced today, on the eve of the state's 198th birthday, he has made appointments to the Illinois Bicentennial Commission. On September 20, Governor Rauner signed Executive Order 2016-11 to create the new Illinois Bicentennial Commission and the Governor's Office of the Illinois Bicentennial to lead the planning for the celebration of the state's 200th birthday.

The EO establishes a commission of no more than 51 voting members which will be housed within the new Bicentennial Office under Executive Director Stuart Layne. No more than 40 members may be appointed by the Governor and one member each may be appointed by the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, the Senate Minority Leader, the House Minority Leader, the Attorney General, the Lieutenant Governor, the Treasurer, the Comptroller, the Secretary of State, and the Mayors of Chicago and Springfield.

The following individuals have been appointed to the commission:

• Ellen S. Alberding, President, The Joyce Foundation
• Pam Althoff, State Senator, 32nd District (Appointed by the Senate Minority Leader)
• Liandro Arellano Jr., Mayor, City of Dixon
• Ed Burke, 14th Ward Alderman, City of Chicago
• Gloria Cardenas Cudia, President, Salsa Business Network
• Gloria Castillo, President & CEO, Chicago United
• Harry L. Crisp II, CEO, Pepsi MidAmerica
• John Crowley, Regional Senior Vice President, Comcast
• Richard M. Daley, Former Mayor, City of Chicago
• Karen Darch, President, Village of Barrington
• Randy Dunn, President, Southern Illinois University System
• Richard Edelman, President & CEO, Edelman
• Fabian Elliott, Founder & CEO, Black Tech Mecca Inc.
• llene S. Gordon, President & CEO, Ingredion
• David Joens, Director, Illinois State Archives (Appointed by the Secretary of State)
• Jim Kinney, Immediate Past President, Illinois Realtors
• Jan V. Kostner, Strategic Marking Consultant, JVK
• Marilyn Kushak, President, Mid-West Family Broadcasting
• James O. Langfelder, Mayor, City of Springfield
• Allen James Lynch, Veteran, Medal of Honor Recipient (Appointed by the Lieutenant Governor)
• Shirley Madigan, Chairman, Illinois Arts Council Chairman & Trustee, After School Matters
• Dan Mahoney Sr., Managing Partner, Fort Knox Studios & 2112 Chicago
• Melissa Mahoney, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Attorney General (Appointed by the Attorney General)
• Richard Mark, Chairman & President, Ameren Illinois
• Fidel Marquez, Senior Vice President of Government and External Affairs, ComEd
• Susana Meza, Vice President of Marketing, Wintrust Financial Corporation
• Oscar Munoz, CEO, United Airlines
• Stephanie Pace Marshall, Ph.D, Chancellor, The Lincoln Academy of Illinois
• Donovan Pepper, National Director of Local Government Relations, Walgreens
• Rikeesha Phelon, President & CEO, Phelon Public Strategies (Appointed by the Senate President)
• John Powers, Owner, Union Street Tin Company
• Jerry Reinsdorf, Chairman, Chicago Bulls & Chicago White Sox
• Tom Ricketts, Chairman, Chicago Cubs
• Todd Schwebel, President, The Schwebel Company
• David Scott, Board Member, Illinois State Historical Society
• Ruth Slottag, Partner, Slottag Communications (Appointed by the Mayor of Springfield)
• Melody Spann-Cooper, Chairman, Midway Broadcasting Corporation
• Larry Spivack, President. Illinois Labor History Society (Appointed by the Treasurer)
• Joyce St. Clair, Chief Capital Management Officer, Northern Trust
• Aaron Tennant, CEO, Simplex Leasing
• Rocky Wirtz, Chairman, Chicago Blackhawks
• Dick Wolf, Creator & Producer, Wolf Entertainment/NBCUniversal Television
• Bernanda Wong, President & CEO, Chinese American Service League (CASL)

The following individuals will serve as non-voting members of the Illinois Bicentennial Commission:

• James Cornelius, Collection Curator, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Lincoln
• Brad Cole, Executive Director, Illinois Municipal League
• Grant Hammer, Chief of Staff, Illinois Department of Agriculture
• Lori Healey, CEO, Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority
• Cory Jobe, Director, Illinois Office of Tourism
• Brent Krebs, Chief of Staff, Illinois Department of Natural Resources
• Brittany Ladd, Assistant Director, Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
• Alan C. Lowe, Executive Director, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
• Heidi Brown-McCreery, Director, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
• Kelly Nicholl, Chief Marketing Officer, Intersect Illinois
• Beth Purvis, Illinois Secretary of Education
• Samuel Wheeler Ph.D., State Historian, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency

More information on commission members can be found on the Illinois Bicentennial Celebration website.