Governor Announces Appointments

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Bruce Rauner announced today he has made appointments to the Illinois Workforce Investment Board, the State Employees' Retirement System, the State Board of Health and the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission.

Name: Julie Adkins
Position: Member - Illinois State Board of Health

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Julie Adkins to the Illinois State Board of Health. She previously served on the board from 2011-2014.

Currently, Adkins is an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) and family nurse practitioner at SIMCA. She has been with the practice since 2012. Prior to her time at SIMCA, Adkins was a nurse practitioner with Charles Neal, MD from 2001-2012.

Akins also serves as a state representative for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and is a past president of the Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nursing.

Adkins earned an associate's degree in nursing from Kaskaskia College and a bachelor's degree in nursing from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. In 2011, she earned her doctorate in nursing from University of Alabama at Birmingham. She lives in West Frankfort.

Name: Melinda M. Rowe-Sullivan
Position: Arbitrator - Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Melinda M. Rowe-Sullivan an arbitrator for the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission. She brings 12 years of law experience to the commission.

Currently, Rowe-Sullivan is an associate attorney at Ganan & Shapiro. Her primary responsibilities surround case management of workers' compensation defense litigation. She has been with the firm since 2008. Her prior experience includes a year at Schweickert & Ganassin and four years with Quinn, Johnston, Henderson & Pretorius.

Rowe-Sullivan earned a bachelor's degree in community health and health administration and a law degree from Northern Illinois University. She also received an MBA from Lewis University. She lives in Peoria.

Name: Alicia Martin
Position: Board Member - Workforce Investment Board

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Alicia Martin to the Workforce Investment Board. Martin brings nearly eight years of experience in business development to the board, as well as an understanding of state government.

Martin is currently the President and CEO of the Illinois Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors. She provides top-level executives strategic operations planning to further business development. Previously she was the Vice President of Membership and Business Development.

Martin earned her bachelor's degree from Blackburn College. She lives in Jacksonville.

Name: Thomas Ashby
Position: Board Member - Workforce Investment Board

Governor Bruce Rauner has reappointed the Centralia Mayor Thomas Ashby to the Workforce Investment Board. He has been a member of this board since 2008.

In addition to his role as mayor, Ashby is the President of Coordinated Transportation Development where he manages the transit operations of Rock Island, Ill. He previously was the Director of the South Central Mass Transit District for 13 years.

Ashby attended Kansas Newman College and Eastern Illinois University, and earned an industry certification from the Transportation Association of America. He lives in Centralia.

Name: Carl Jenkins
Position: Member - State Employees' Retirement System

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Carl Jenkins to the State Employees Retirement System Board. Jenkins' has more than 20 years of experience in banking and investments making him well suited for the position.

Currently, Jenkins works for BMO Harris Bank in the corporate finance division serving as the Managing Director and Group Head of Community Invests. He has worked for the bank since 2000 and has held a number of roles in community development lending and capital markets.

Jenkins earned his bachelor's degree from Washington University and an MBA from the University of North Carolina. He lives in Chicago.