Gov. Pritzker Announces Communications Staff Transitions

CHICAGO- ​ Governor JB Pritzker announced the following staff transitions on his communications team.

Jordan Abudayyeh and Jason Rubin will depart the governor’s office after six years of service to the state of Illinois. The two have led communications for the administration through major legislative and economic development wins as well as through challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic.

Matt Hill and Emily Bolton will join the administration as Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Director of Agency Communications respectively. The two bring deep experience to the roles across federal and state government and national politics.

“Jordan Abudayyeh and Jason Rubin have been essential advisors since day one of this administration,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “For nearly six years in state government, they have met every moment with an approach that is the hallmark of their work: thoughtful, deliberate, and above all, fighting to ensure the people of Illinois were at the center of every message in and out of my office. Through challenges expected and unexpected—legislative debates and global pandemics—it has been a privilege to watch these two remarkable people grow into the best communications team in the nation. While they leave big shoes to fill, I have no doubt that Matt Hill and Emily Bolton will rise to the occasion, bringing their deep communications experience across politics and government, to this work. I am thrilled to welcome them to the team and look forward to all that we will accomplish together.”

Jordan Abudayyeh leaves the governor’s office after serving as Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Strategic Media, overseeing the governor’s communications team. Abudayyeh previously served as Governor Pritzker’s Press Secretary for his first term. Abudayyeh also served the same role on the governor’s 2018 gubernatorial campaign. Before entering politics, Abudayyeh was an award-winning political reporter for Springfield’s ABC affiliate WICS-TV, an anchor and producer for Naperville’s NCTV17, and an associate producer for Milwaukee’s WISN-TV. She received a degree in broadcast journalism and sociology from Marquette University.

Jason Rubin leaves the governor’s office after serving as Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Agency Strategy, overseeing the governor’s communications team. Rubin previously served as Governor Pritzker’s Deputy Communications Director, a role he held since the governor’s inauguration. Prior to that, Rubin served as Deputy Communications Director on the governor’s 2018 campaign and held communications roles with New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development and Rep. Patrick Murphy’s 2016 U.S. Senate campaign in Florida. Rubin began his career in politics as the Director of Scheduling for U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. He is a graduate of Vassar College with a degree in political science.

In their place, the Governor’s Office welcomes Matt Hill and Emily Bolton who will oversee communications for the governor’s office.

Matt Hill joins the governor’s office after serving as the Senior Director of Communications for the 2024 Democratic National Convention Committee in Chicago, serving as the top spokesperson and overseeing the event's messaging and media strategy. Hill spent the last five years as a senior communications aide for President Joe Biden. In the 2020 presidential cycle, he was a national spokesperson for Biden's primary campaign, the Biden-Harris general election campaign, and the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Hill then joined the Biden-Harris Administration as a Senior Associate Communications Director in the White House, managing communications around key accomplishments on climate, infrastructure, and more. He then served as the inaugural Communications Director for the CHIPS for America program at the Department of Commerce, focusing on bringing semiconductor manufacturing, jobs, and innovation back to the United States. Previously, Hill held communications roles at Georgetown University and the Democratic firm Global Strategy Group. Hill is from Buffalo Grove and graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with degrees in political science and communication.

Emily Bolton joins the governor’s office with more than a decade of experience in government and political communications. Most recently, Bolton led communications at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) where she positioned Illinois as a global economic powerhouse and amplified the historic economic development wins achieved under the Pritzker Administration. Prior to joining DCEO, Bolton served in various roles at Chicago Public Schools (CPS), including Director of Media Relations and Strategic Communications during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to that, Bolton held communications positions at the Democratic Party of Virginia during the 2016 election cycle, Office of the Virginia Attorney General, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and PR firm Burson-Marsteller. Bolton is a graduate of the University of Georgia and a proud native Illinoisan. ​

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