Governor Quinn Makes Executive Appointments

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today made 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.

“These individuals have an ethic of service and will work on behalf of the people of our state,” Governor Quinn said. “I am confident these appointees will make a positive difference on our boards and commissions and strengthen our mission 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 today by the Governor include:

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Advisory Board

Paula Kaufman of Champaign is a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign. She holds an MBA from the University of New Haven, an M.L.S. from Columbia University, and an A.B. from Smith College.

David Spadafora of Chicago is the president of Newberry Library. He holds a Ph.D. from Yale University and a B.A. Williams College.

Broadband Deployment Council

Julie Oost of Mokena is an economic analyst at Kelley Drye law firm. She holds an M.S. in Economics and a B.S. in Economics and Finance from Illinois State University.

Central Management Services, Assistant Director

Austin Baidas of Chicago was formerly the Associate Director of the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget and holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Economics and Management from the Gerstacker Institute of Professional Management at Albion College. Baidas has also served as Chairman of TriMatrix Laboratories, Inc., in Grand Rapids, Mich., and as CEO and Chairman of Four Seasons Housing in Middlebury, Ind. Baidas also sits on the Board of Directors of the Center on Halsted, a Chicago Community Center which provides social services to the LGBT community.

Central Illinois Economic Development Authority

Edward Heck of Nokomis is President and CEO of the First National Bank of Nokomis.

Civil Service Commission

Casey Urlacher of Mettawa serves as the Mayor of the Village of Mettawa, and holds a B.A. from Lake Forest College.

Commission on Environmental Justice

Robert A Messina of Springfield is the Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Regulatory Group. He holds a J.D. from Southern Illinois University School of Law and a B.A. from the University of Illinois.

Kimberly Wasserman of Chicago is a Senior Advisor for the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization.

Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Board

Eva Serrano of LaGrange is an assistant professor of foreign languages/Latino studies at Aurora University and has a Doctor of Education and Educational specialist degree from Northern Illinois University. Dr. Serrano also holds a MBA from the University of Dallas and a B.A. from Mundelein College. Dr. Serrano is a graduate of Harvard University’s JFK School of Government executive education program and the former executive director of the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission

Theresa “Tess” Fuller-Sakolsky of Springfield is the Director of Training & Public Education at the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence. She holds an M.A. and a B.A. from University of Illinois at Springfield.

Education of Children with Disabilities Advisory Council

Stephen Breese of Jacksonville is the Assistant Regional Superintendent at the Regional Office of Education #46. He holds an M.S. from the University of Illinois and a B.S. from Illinois State University.

Jennifer Naddeo of Barrington is the Director of Special Education at Schaumburg School District 54. She holds a Ph.D. from Loyola University and an M.A. and a B.A. from Truman State University.

Lauri Phillips of Oswego is a staff accountant at Professional Service Industries. She holds a B.A. from the University of St. Francis and an associate’s degree from Joliet Junior College.

Elizabeth Purvis of Chicago is the Executive Director of the Chicago International Charter School. She holds a Doctorate in Special Education from Vanderbilt University, an M.S. from Columbia University, and a B.S. from Bucknell University.

Employment and Economic Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities Task Force

Nicole Jorwic of Elmhurst is the Executive Director of the Institute of Public Policy for People with Disabilities.

Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy Board of Trustees

Carey Mayer of Peoria is an Architectural Group Leader at Dewberry Architects and holds a B.S. from the University of Illinois.

Medical District Commission

Blake Sercye of Chicago is an associate at Jenner & Block. He holds a J.D. from University of Chicago Law School and an A.B. from Princeton University.

State Health Improvement Plan Implementation Coordination Council

Eugenia Sanders of Chicago is a pediatrician. She holds an M.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine and an M.S. and B.S. from the University of Illinois.

Violence Prevention Task Force

Pastor Corey Brooks of Chicago is pastor at New Beginnings Church of Chicago, which he founded. While there, he has been instrumental in New Beginnings Church’s Project H.O.O.D. (Helping Others Obtain Destiny). He holds a B.S. in Political Science from Ball State University and an M.A. in Ministry from Grace Theological Seminary.

Chair LaMar Hasbrouck, MD, MPH, of Chicago, is the Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. He holds a Masters in Public Health from the University of California at Berkeley, and graduated from the Charles Drew/UCLA Medical Education Program, completing his medical residency in internal medicine at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.