Governor Announces Appointments B.R. Lane to lead Illinois Lottery; John Holton to continue leading Dept. on Aging

CHICAGO - Governor Bruce Rauner announced today he has made appointments to two cabinet-level positions. The appointments include the Illinois Lottery, the Illinois Department on Aging and the Illinois Human Rights Commission.

Name: B.R. Lane 
Position: Illinois Lottery Superintendent

Governor Bruce Rauner announced he has selected B.R. Lane to become the next Superintendent of the Illinois Lottery. Lane's experience in the gaming industry and with regulatory matters in the public and private sectors make her uniquely qualified for the position. 

For nearly five years, Lane was the Manager of Regulatory Compliance at International Game Technology, a leader in computerized gaming equipment. Lane managed compliance in development and distribution of casino content and oversaw corporate gaming licenses. Lane also negotiated favorable regulatory treatment of a new gaming system in select markets, which generated $4 million in savings for the company, its affiliates and subsidiaries. 

Most recently, Lane was the Interim Director of the Gary/Chicago International Airport. She oversaw the entire organization to ensure compliance in the highly regulated aviation industry. In this role she was responsible for the competition of capital projects, business and legislative affairs, stakeholder relationship management and regulatory integrity. 

Prior to her work with the airport, Lane was the Chief of Staff for the City of Gary, Indiana. She oversaw all city departments from legal and finance to public safety. She negotiated a lengthy legal dispute with a casino interest, which resulted in $13 million to the city. She also developed and managed organizational key performance indicators to drive operational efficiency.

Lane is a graduate of Morgan State University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in English. She earned a law degree from Harvard Law School and an M.B.A from the University of Memphis.

Name: John Holton
Position: Director - Department on Aging

Governor Bruce Rauner has selected Director John Holton to continue leading the Department on Aging. He has served as the agency's director for the past three years.

Holton's work for Illinois dates back to 2007, when he began working for the Illinois Department of Human Services. For three years, he was the Associate Director in the Division of Mental Health. Prior to that, he studied public health in Chicago's neighborhoods when he served as a site director for Harvard University School of Public Health's project on human development.

Holton holds a Ph.D. in Human Development from Pennsylvania State University, a master's degree in Urban Education from the University of Hartford and a bachelor's degree from Howard University.

Name: Rose Mary Bombela-Tobias
Position: Chairman - Illinois Human Rights Commission

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Rose Mary Bombela-Tobias to become the Chairman of the Human Rights Commission. Bombela-Tobias is the former Director of the Illinois Department of Human Rights. She was the first Hispanic to hold the position and the first Hispanic to hold a cabinet-level position.

For more than 35 years, Bombela-Tobias has worked to improve diversity and treatment of minorities. She is currently a principal of the Global Diversity Solutions Group, which specializes in diversity consulting and multi-cultural workforce dynamics. Prior to this, she was the Director of Central States for SER - Jobs for Progress, the nation's largest Latino direct services organization.

Before Bombela-Tobias' work in the private sector, she served the people of Illinois for 20 years in a variety of roles. Her most notable contribution was instituting the Minority and Female Business Enterprise Program. In addition to becoming the first Hispanic to lead the Illinois Department of Human Rights, she also worked for the Illinois Department of Central Management Services and the Illinois Department of Personnel. Bombela-Tobias was also the Special Assistant to the Governor for Hispanic Affairs under Governor Jim Thompson.

Bombela-Tobias has a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas-El Paso. She lives in Chicago.

Name: Hamilton Chang
Position: Commissioner - Illinois Human Rights Commission

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Hamilton Chang to the Human Rights Commission. He is the Vice Chair of U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk's Asian-American Advisory Committee and has been recognized in the Chinese community for his contributions.

Chang has more than 25 years of experience in finance and management. He led groups specializing in risk management. He is currently the Managing Partner of Ballparks of America-Branson, which is a youth baseball facility for 10-12 year olds. He also serves as a Trustee for New Trier Township.

Chang earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and a master's degree from the University of Chicago.

Name: Duke Alden
Position: Commissioner - Illinois Human Rights Commission

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Duke Alden to the Illinois Human Rights Commission. His experience in business and involvement with a number of non-profit organizations make him well-suited for the position.

Alden is extremely active in the Chicago community and currently is the Chairman of the Howard Brown Health Center, which works to eliminate disparities in health care experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana. He has also worked with Vital Bridges, an organization that helps men and women impacted by AIDS/HIV, and for CARPLS, which provides legal services to people who could otherwise not afford them.

Alden is currently the global leader of Information Governance for Aon. He oversees risk assessment and policy development to drive business efficiency, mitigate risk, and reduce spending. Prior to joining Aon, Alden was a strategy consultant for Huron Consulting Group where he assisted some of the world's largest companies in the areas of discovery strategy, process design and cost-savings.

Alden earned his bachelor's degree from Missouri State University and his law degree from Tulane University. He lives in Chicago.

Name: Nabi Fakroddin
Position: Commissioner - Illinois Human Rights Commission

Governor Bruce Rauner has reappointed Nabi Fakroddin to the Illinois Human Rights Commission. Fakroddin has served on the commission since 2010.

Fakroddin is a licensed professional and structural Engineer. He is past president of the Illinois Engineering Council and the Illinois Association of County Engineers. He is a member of the St. Charles Zoning Board of Appeals and a former member of the Western Illinois Regional Manpower and Planning Commission.

Fakroddin is the recipient of numerous awards, including American Public Works Association's Top Ten Public Works Leaders in the U.S. and a Distinguished Service Award from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying.

Fakroddin earned his bachelor's degree from Indiana Technical College. He lives in St. Charles.

Name: Robert Cantone
Position: Commissioner - Illinois Human Rights Commission

Governor Bruce Rauner has reappointed Robert Cantone to the Illinois Human Rights Commission. He has served on the commission since 2011.

Cantone is an attorney focusing on personal injury claims on behalf of people who have been injured due to motor vehicle accidents, slip and fall accidents, construction accidents, product defects and medical malpractice. Additionally, he has acted as an arbitrator for the Cook County Mandatory Arbitration program since 1990. He is also a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association.

Cantone earned his bachelor's degree from DePaul University and his law degree from Lewis University College of Law He lives in Orland Park.