Gov. Pritzker Announces Eleven Appointments to Boards and Commissions

Illinois State Toll Highway Authority

Manish Mehta will serve as a member of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority.* Mehta is a member of the Benesch’s Executive Committee and Partner-in-Charge of the firm’s Chicago office, where he leads with a focus on intellectual property, litigation, and post-grant reviews. Mehta has a robust track record across a variety of federal courts and jurisdictions. He has successfully represented clients from diverse industries, including automotive, e-commerce, and computer software. Mehta is a past President of the Indian American Bar Association of Chicago and currently sits on the Advisory Council for that organization. Mehta received a Bachelor of Science from University of Illinois and Juris Doctor from University of Illinois Chicago School of Law.

Workers’ Compensation Commission

Frank Soto will serve as a Member of the Workers’ Compensation Commission.* Frank Soto has been an attorney for 30 years and was involved in the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (nine years as an arbitrator and 21 years in private practice). Prior to being an arbitrator, he was president of the Village of Bensenville and was the first Latino elected mayor/village president in DuPage County. ​ While village president, he settled the litigation with the City of Chicago allowing the O’Hare Airport Modernization to proceed. He was awarded municipal leader of the year by CISCO and was recognized as a leader in municipal transparency by the Illinois Policy Institute and by Judy Baar Topinka from the Illinois Office of the Comptroller. He was appointed by former Governor Quinn to the Elgin-O’Hare Western Bypass Advisory Council to identify the economic benefits of the I-390 expressway and to identify the most cost-effective means to build it. He also worked as deputy director of Administrative Hearing for the Illinois Secretary of State, hearing officer for the Illinois Court of Claims, as well as for the Illinois Attorney General and McHenry County State’s Attorney. He earned a degree in economics and business administration from Eastern Illinois University and graduated from John Marshall Law School.

Workers’ Compensation Commission Arbitrators

Jacqueline Haralelli will continue to serve as an Arbitrator on the Workers’ Compensation Commission.* Previously, Jacqueline Hickey worked as a trial attorney for Goldberg Weisman Cairo where she garnered extensive trial experience working on a range of complex litigation cases in the areas of workers’ compensation, medical malpractice, construction negligence, and trucking accidents. She has worked within the legal practice of Workers’ Compensation for fifteen years. Hickey, as a Mexican American, Spanish-speaking lawyer, also previously served and was ratified as the Consultant Attorney for the Consulate General of Mexico in Chicago prior to her appointment to the bench as an arbitrator. Arbitrator Hickey is a member of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Association, Loyola Academy Bar Association, and Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois. She holds a Juris Doctor from John Marshall Law School and Bachelor of Science from DePaul University. 

Dennis O’Brien will continue to serve as an Arbitrator on the Workers’ Compensation Commission.* O’Brien has served as an Arbitrator with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission since 2019. Prior to his appointment, he served as a prosecutor in Sangamon and Lake Counties, and practiced workers’ compensation law for over 35 years, representing both employers and employees throughout the State of Illinois, as a shareholder at Livingstone, Mueller, O’Brien & Davlin, P.C. in Springfield, Illinois. A frequent author and lecturer on workers’ compensation issues for continuing legal education seminars, O’Brien earned his Bachelor of Arts from Dominican University in River Forest, and a Juris Doctor from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

Efi Poziopoulos James will continue to serve as an Arbitrator on the Workers’ Compensation Commission.* Poziopoulos James has served as an Arbitrator at the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission since her appointment in March 2023. Poziopoulos James began her legal career in 1997 as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Criminal Prosecutions Bureau in Cook County. In this role, she was honored for her advocacy work on behalf of victims of domestic violence. After 10 years in public service, she moved into private practice and represented injured workers’ for 16 years. During this time, she worked at Baum, Ruffolo & Marzal law firm, and later Karchmar & Stone law firm, where she appeared and argued numerous cases at Arbitration before the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, in Circuit Court, and at the Appellate Court level. She served as a Chair for the Current Issues in Illinois Workers' Compensation Seminar and was Chair of the Chicago Bar Association Workers' Compensation Committee. She also worked as an Adjunct Professor at Kaplan University, where she taught criminal justice courses in their Master’s degree program. Poziopoulos James received her Juris Doctorate from John Marshall Law School and Bachelor of Arts from DePaul University.

Elaine Llerena will continue to serve as an Arbitrator on the Workers’ Compensation Commission.* Llerena was appointed as an Arbitrator to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission in November of 2019. Prior to that, she worked as a Staff Attorney at the Commission for various Commissioners for over 10 years. Llerena also worked as an Associate Attorney at Beaulieu Law Offices, dealing mostly with Spanish-speaking clients, and at the time of her appointment, she worked as a Staff Attorney at Seyfarth Shaw. In March of 2025, Arbitrator Llerena presented, along with colleagues and members of the bar, on the topic of Generational Practices in Workers’ Compensation Law. She attained her Bachelor of Arts at Florida State University and her Juris Doctor from John Marshall Law School in Chicago, now the University of Illinois- Chicago (UIC) School of Law.

Kurt Carlson will continue to serve as an Arbitrator on the Workers’ Compensation Commission.* Carlson currently serves as a workers’ compensation Arbitrator in the venues of Peoria, Bloomington, and Rock Island, Illinois. He began his legal career in Chicago as a workers’ compensation associate in 1997 with Power & Cronin (respondent), and later Teplitz & Bell (petitioner) until receiving his appointment to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission in 2003. He has tried matters in nearly every workers’ compensation venue in the State of Illinois and is often invited to lecture by organizations such as The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, The Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education and the Chicago Bar Association. Carlson received a Bachelor’s degree from University of Wisconsin-Madison and his Juris Doctorate at the John Marshall Law School, now the University of Illinois- Chicago (UIC) School of Law.

Roma Dalal will continue to serve as an Arbitrator on the Workers’ Compensation Commission.* Dalal has served as an Arbitrator with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission since 2021. Prior to this role, Dalal served as a partner at Wiedner & McAuliffe, LTD where she provided professional legal assistance, advice, and counsel on workers’ compensation-related matters. Before being named partner, she served Wiedner & McAuliffe as Associate Attorney for nearly ten years. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan and her Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law.

William Gallagher will continue to serve as an Arbitrator on the Workers’ Compensation Commission.* Gallagher has served as an Arbitrator since his appointment in 2012. Throughout his 48-year legal career, he has focused on workers’ compensation law. Prior to his appointment as an Arbitrator, he represented both Petitioners and Respondents in Illinois and Missouri workers’ compensation cases for 35 years. He previously served on the Workers’ Compensation Section Council of the Illinois State Bar Association and has presented at numerous seminars. In 2020, he received the honor of being selected as a Fellow of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers. Gallagher received a Bachelor of Arts from Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville and a Juris Doctor from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. ​

Edward Lee will continue to serve as an Arbitrator on the Workers’ Compensation Commission.* Lee began his career in the U.S. Army where he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant Army Officer. Prior to law school, and as an Army Officer, Lee worked in the Judge Advocate General’s Office defending soldiers and representing the Army in Special Court Martial proceedings. Lee was honorably discharged and attended law school through the G.I. Bill. After law school, Lee entered private practice specializing in Workers’ Compensation Law. While employed at Perz & McGuire, he represented petitioners and respondents, including the Ford Motor Company. Lee was appointed Arbitrator by Governor Jim Edgar in November 1997 and has been continuously reappointed since then, most recently by Governor JB Pritzker in 2022. Edward Lee received a Bachelor’s degree from Tulane University and a Juris Doctor from John Marshall Law School.

Khama Sharp will serve as an Arbitrator on the Workers’ Compensation Commission.* In his most recent role as Assistant Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Sharp was committed to creating equitable economic opportunities across the state. He supported Illinois businesses, communities, local governments, and non-profits by overseeing several bureaus within the Department and providing leadership support for the agency’s overall agenda. As an attorney, Sharp has over 15 years of experience providing leadership and counsel on a wide range of subjects. Previously, he served as the Deputy General Counsel of the agency, where he had a significant role in policy development, contract administration, grant compliance, and resolving labor issues. He also brings a wealth of experience in the legislative branch, having served as Senior Legal Counsel for the Office of the Senate President of the Illinois State Senate and in various capacities with the U.S. House of Representatives. Sharp holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Minnesota and a Juris Doctor degree from Howard University - School of Law.

* Appointments pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.

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