To stay updated on Governor Pritzker’s most recent press conferences, please visit the Governor’s Twitter page @GovPritzker or the Governor’s Facebook page @GovPritzker for the latest livestreams. Downloadable video footage of press conferences can also be accessed at the following link: https://cms.illinois.gov/agency/media/video/videos.html 

The State of Illinois Newsroom

To stay updated on Governor Pritzker’s most recent press conferences, please visit the Governor’s Twitter page @GovPritzker or the Governor’s...

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Building on a strong team of diverse experts in their fields, Governor JB Pritzker announced the following appointments in his administration

Gov. Pritzker Announces Five Appointments to Boards and Commissions

Sean Brannon will serve as a Member of theIllinois Gaming Board.* Brannon retired from the Illinois State Police (ISP) as a Captain in July 2024, following over 27 years of service. His most recent assignment was managing ISP’s Statewide Gaming Command while simultaneously serving as the Illinois Gaming Board’s Deputy Administrator of Field Operations. Throughout his ISP career, Brannon heldvarious positions, including Trooper, Special Agent, Sergeant, Master Sergeant, and Lieutenant. Brannon earned a Bachelor of Science in Law Enforcement Administration from Western Illinois University and a Juris Doctor from Northern Illinois University.

Gov. Pritzker Announces Two Appointments to Boards and Commissions

James Kolar will continue to serve as a member of the Illinois Gaming Board.* Kolar brings nearly forty years of professional experience to the Board. He recently retired from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) after 37 years, having served in the Financial Services Practice. Kolar held several leadership roles at PwC, including Managing Partner, Market Managing Partner, and Central Market Managing Partner. In addition to the Illinois Gaming Board, Kolar serves on the University of St. Thomas Board of Trustees and the PwC Charitable Foundation Board. Kolar earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Building on a strong team of diverse experts in their fields, Governor JB Pritzker announced the following appointment in his administration

Gov. Pritzker Announces One Appointment to Boards and Commissions  

Barbara Flynn Currie will continue to serve as Chair of the Pollution Control Board.* Representative Currie has served on the Pollution Control Board since her original appointment in 2019. Currie retired from the Illinois House of Representatives after serving for forty years, during which she was the first female House Majority Leader in state history. She sponsored the state’s first Freedom of Information Act and the Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit. Currie was a champion for clean air and water, and she spearheaded changes to state funding for public education and the juvenile justice system. She’s been honored by many organizations including the Illinois ACLU, Planned Parenthood, Illinois AFL-CIO, Illinois Environmental Council, Friends of the Parks, the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, and the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. Currie earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Chicago.

Gov. Pritzker Announces Thirteen Appointments to Boards and Commissions

James Fuentes will continue to serve as a Member of the Illinois Finance Authority.* Fuentes is an entrepreneur and former CEO of Clarity Communication Systems Inc, a company he founded in 1998. After the company merged with ISCO International, he took on the role of Chief Strategy Officer at ISCO, where he played a pivotal role in integrating the two businesses. An engineer by training, he served as a senior engineer for Lockheed Advanced Development Projects, an engineer specialist with Northrop Defense, and a senior manager for Lucent Technologies. Fuentes is a Trustee for the Museum of Science and Industry where he serves on the Education and Building Capital Improvement committees. Fuentes earned a Bachelor of Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Gov. Pritzker Announces Two Appointments to Boards, Commissions, and Agencies

William Hobert will continue to serve as Chair of the Illinois Finance Authority.* Hobert currently serves as the managing member of WH Trading, a global proprietary derivatives trading firm he founded in 1994. WH Trading provides liquidity to a wide range of global futures and options markets including interest rate, foreign exchange, agricultural commodity, and energy products. Hobert also serves on the Board of Directors of the CME Group, where he chairs the Clearing House Risk Committee and the IRS Risk Committee. Additionally, he chairs the board of My Block, My Hood, My City, a nonprofit with a mission to inspire youth and empower communities in Chicago. Hobert earned a Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University.

David Fox will continue to serve as a Member of the Health Facilities and Services Review Board.* Fox served as President of the Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital for fifteen years before retiring in 2018. Under his leadership, Good Samaritan received a Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award in 2010. Additionally, Good Samaritan was recognized seven times as a 100 Top Hospital by Truven Health Analytics and seven times as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades. In 2009, Fox was named CEO of the Year by Becker’s Hospital Review Magazine. He is a frequent national speaker on achieving performance excellence. Fox received a Bachelor of Arts from Haverford College and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago.

Gabriel Foley will continue to serve as a Member of the Children and Family Services Advisory Council.* Starting his career as a child welfare advocate, Foley currently serves as a Lived Experience Engagement Specialist and Knowledge Management Specialist for the Inner City Fund. In this role, he works directly with states and jurisdictions to address challenges faced by youth and young adults. Additionally, he is a current Young Adult Advisor for Illinois YouthCare Medicaid. Foley has served as Board Secretary for the Illinois Children and Family Services Advisory Council. Foley received a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from Bradley University.

Update to the Illinois ID Card Act empowers those leaving custody to regain ID, more easily find work and housing

Gov. Pritzker Signs Legislation Granting Streamlined Access to ID Cards for the Formerly Incarcerated

CHICAGO—Today Governor JB Pritzker signed SB2803, an amendment to the Illinois Identification Card Act designed to simplify the process of obtaining an ID for those leaving Department of Corrections (DOC) custody. The law simplifies the process for the Secretary of State (SOS) to issue a standard Illinois ID card to a person committed to the DOC, the Department of Juvenile Justice, a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility located in Illinois, or a county jail before their release, better enabling them to reenter post-correctional life and avoid recidivism.

Gov. Pritzker Announces One Appointment to Boards and Commissions

Wynona Redmond will serve as a Member of the Lottery Control Board.* Redmond is a pioneering and visionary communications and community engagement strategist, highly regarded for her 30+ years of connecting corporations to communities. She is the Founder and President of Wyn-Win Communications Inc, which received the Professional Salute to Excellence Award from the National Association of Black Journalists in 2022. Before founding Wyn-Win, she led public affairs and community engagement efforts in both the public and private sectors, including Northstar Lottery Group, Dominick’s Finer Foods/Safeway, and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Redmond also previously served as President of the National Black Public Relations Society and as a Senior Advisor on the Public Relations Society of America’s board. She is a past recipient of the Chicago Defender Vanguard Award. Redmond earned a Bachelor of Arts from Loyola University Chicago.

CHICAGO—Today Governor JB Pritzker signed into law HB3144, the local government tax omnibus bill that eliminates the state tax on grocery items. The 1% state tax is repealed across all of Illinois, although local governments have the option of imposing the tax on a local basis by ordinance.

Gov. Pritzker Signs Bill Eliminating State Grocery Tax

CHICAGO—Today Governor JB Pritzker signed into law HB3144, the local government tax omnibus bill that eliminates the state tax on grocery items...

Brendan Kelly will continue to serve as a Member of the Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes.* Kelly currently serves as the Director of the Illinois State Police, a position he has held since 2019. Previously, he was the Assistant State’s Attorney for St. Clair County and later served as its State’s Attorney for eight years. Kelly also served in the military as an officer in the United States Navy. Kelly earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame and a Juris Doctor from St. Louis University School of Law.

 Gov. Pritzker Announces One Appointment to Boards and Commissions

Sharon Legenza will serve as a Member of the Illinois Affordable Housing Advisory Commission.* Legenza currently serves as the Executive Director of Housing Action Illinois, a statewide coalition formed to protect and expand the availability of quality, affordable, accessible housing throughout Illinois. In this role, Legenza has built key partnerships among housing counseling agencies, homeless and supportive service providers, affordable housing developers, and fair housing groups. She routinely presents on affordable housing and homeless prevention topics and engages with local, state, and federal decision-makers and with financial institutions to promote equitable housing policies and initiatives. Previously, Legenza worked for private and non-profit law firms, focusing on civil rights and constitutional law cases. She is a member of the FHLB Chicago Advisory Council and the Illinois Affordable Housing Trust Fund Advisory Commission. Legenza has served in leadership roles on various nonprofit boards and public and private sector committees, including as Chair of the Community Opportunity Alliance. She also co-chairs the Community Development Sub-Committee of the Cook County Economic Development Advisory Council. Legenza earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Chicago and a Juris Doctor from Northwestern University School of Law.

Personnel Releases

Gov. Pritzker Announces Five Appointments to Boards and Commissions

Gov. Pritzker Announces Two Appointments to Boards and Commissions

Gov. Pritzker Announces One Appointment to Boards and Commissions

Gov. Pritzker Announces Thirteen Appointments to Boards and Commissions

Gov. Pritzker Announces Two Appointments to Boards, Commissions, and Agencies

Gov. Pritzker Announces Five Appointments to Boards and Commissions

Gov. Pritzker Announces Two Appointments to Boards and Commissions

Gov. Pritzker Signs Legislation Granting Streamlined Access to ID Cards for the Formerly Incarcerated

Gov. Pritzker Announces One Appointment to Boards and Commissions

Gov. Pritzker Signs Bill Eliminating State Grocery Tax

Gov. Pritzker Announces One Appointment to Boards and Commissions

Gov. Pritzker Announces One Appointment to Boards and Commissions

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