Press Release - Wednesday, October 29, 2003
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Governor follows through on reforms to boards and commissions
SPRINGFIELD - Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich today followed through on commitments he made early in his term to reform the state's full-time boards and commissions by reducing their sizes and by appointing qualified members who will commit to full-time to the boards' work. The Governor's office filed papers reconstituting the Labor Relations Board and the Illinois Pollution Control Board.
"In February, I announced plans to transform the composition of the state's boards and commissions to save the people of Illinois money and restore some measure of their faith in government. Today's appointments help us fulfill that goal," Blagojevich said.
The Illinois Labor Relations Board will have five full-time members appointed by the Governor, reduced from six. The Illinois Labor Relations Board is the State agency that administers the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act, the primary law governing relations between unions and public employers. Members are now prohibited from holding outside employment, and salaries will stay at the current level: $79,779 for members, $88,641 for the chair.
The new members, whose terms officially begin November 1, are:
- Jackie Gallagher, who will serve as chairperson of both the state and local panels. Gallagher, of Arlington Heights, has served as a legislative consultant and communications aide to the Chicago Teachers Union since 1991. (term expires 1/29/07)
- Charles Hernandez, of Batavia, was a project manager for Johnson Controls in Arlington Heights and has been active in the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association and the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. (term expires 1/26/05)
- Rex Piper, of Energy, has been Secretary-Treasurer of the United Mine Workers of America District #12 since 2000, and served as its compensation counselor from 1991 to 2000. (term expires 1/31/04)
- Michael Hade, of Springfield, served as president of the Central Illinois Trades and Labor Council, field service director for the Illinois Federation of Teachers and a member of the policy board for Citizen Action Illinois. (term expires 1/30/06)
- Letitia Taylor, of Chicago, was an international area director and area field services director for AFSCME before retiring in August, 2002. (term expires 1/30/06)
The Illinois Pollution Control Board will have five members, reduced from seven. The Pollution Control Board is responsible for adopting Illinois' environmental regulations and deciding contested environmental cases. Like the Labor Relations Board, members cannot hold outside employment and will receive the previous salary: $99,414 for members, and $102,809 for the chair.
The new membership, which goes into effect December 1, is:
- Philip Novak, of Bradley, will retire from his position as State Representative of the 79th District at the end of November to serve as chair of the Pollution Control Board. Novak was elected to the legislature in 1987 where he has served on the Environment and Energy Committee, the Public Utilities Committee and co-chaired the special committee on Electric Utility Deregulation. (term expires 7/01/06)
- Thomas Johnson, of Urbana, is being reappointed. (term expires 7/01/06)
- G. Tanner Girard, Ph.D., of Jacksonville, is being reappointed. (term expires 7/01/05)
- Nicholas J. Melas, of Chicago, is being reappointed. (term expires 7/01/05)
- Andrea Moore, of Libertyville, served as assistant director of the Department of Natural Resources during the Ryan administration. Previously, she served in the legislature as State Representative of the 61st District, and sat on the Environment and Energy Committee, the Public Utilities Committee, and the Cities and Counties Committee, among others. (term expires 7/01/04)
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