Gov. Pritzker Announces Eleven Appointments to Boards and Commissions

Capital Development Board

Pamela McDonough will continue to serve as a Member of the Capital Development Board.* McDonough was first appointed to the Capital Development Board in 2015 and brings more than 30 years of experience in both the public and private sectors. She currently serves as president of DeAngelo McDonough Construction Management Company and McDonough Enterprises, Ltd., which provides business development, technical assistance, and association management for nonprofits. Previously, McDonough served as the first woman director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, where she helped Illinois achieve the nation’s top ranking for economic development in 2001 and 2002. She also held several leadership roles in state government, including Deputy Director of the Capital Development Board from 1992 to 1995. McDonough earned her Master’s in Public Administration from Sangamon State University and her bachelor’s degree from Northeastern Illinois University.

Chicago State University Board of Trustees

Andrea Zopp will continue to serve as a Member of the Chicago State University Board of Trustees.* Zopp is an accomplished corporate executive with expertise in banking, strategic development, human capital, and risk management. She is a Managing Partner at Cleveland Avenue, where she leads the CAST US fund, investing in and supporting minority- and women-owned businesses. Previously, Zopp served as the president and CEO of World Business Chicago and as Deputy Mayor and Chief Neighborhood Development Officer for the City of Chicago. She is a member of The Economic Club, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, INC, and has been on the Board of Trustees with Chicago State University since 2019. Zopp earned a Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor from Harvard University.

Eastern Illinois University Board of Trustees

Timi Ngoboh will continue to serve as a Member of the Eastern Illinois University Board of Trustees.* Ngoboh has over 25 years of financial and information technology experience. He currently serves as Director of the Intelligent Automation and Transformation team at Discover Financial Services. He has also served as Senior Project Manager for Discover Personal Loans Recovery Systems and Senior Associate for Recovery System Support and Analysis. Prior to his time with Discover Financial Services, Ngoboh worked for both JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America. Ngoboh earned a Bachelor of Science from Eastern Illinois University, a Master of Business Administration from Roosevelt University, and a Doctor of Business Administration in Information Technology from the University of Liverpool.

Illinois Board of Higher Education

Pranav Kothari will continue to serve as a Member of the Illinois Board of Higher Education.* Kothari is the Founder and CEO of Revolution Impact, which empowers social sector organizations to achieve their goals. He is also an Adjunct Lecturer of Social Impact at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, where he teaches MBA and executive education courses on the education sector, social sector performance measurement, and board governance. Pranav has held leadership roles with KnowledgeWorks, StriveTogether, and Mission Measurement, and served as Board President of the National College Access Network. Kothari earned his Master of Business Administration in Corporate Strategy and Organizational Behavior from the University of Michigan and an A.B. in Economics from Washington University in St. Louis.

Illinois Commerce Commission

Michael Carrigan will continue to serve as a Member of the Illinois Commerce Commission.* Prior to his 2020 appointment to the Illinois Commerce Commission, Carrigan was the president of the Illinois AFL-CIO, where he served for nearly 20 years on the executive team. Prior to his tenure at the AFL-CIO, Carrigan was the Business Manager and Financial Secretary for IBEW Local 146 in Decatur. He was elected to Decatur City Council in 1995 and served nearly four terms before being appointed Mayor of Decatur to serve out the remaining term of the retiring Mayor. At the national level, Carrigan was appointed to serve on the AFL-CIO State Federation and Central Labor Council Advisory Committee and also chaired the 13-state AFL-CIO Central Regions State Federation Organization. Carrigan has served on several boards including the Illinois Prevailing Wage Council, Illinois Workers Compensation Advisory Board, NECA-IBEW Health and Welfare Trust Fund and Pension Fund Boards, IBEW’s South-Central Illinois Telecommunication Council, and the Decatur Building Trades Council.

Illinois Housing Development Authority

Brice Hutchcraft will continue to serve as a Member of the Illinois Housing Development Authority.* Hutchcraft is an experienced commercial and retail banking executive. He currently serves as the Champaign Market President at First State Bank, where he previously served as Vice President of Commercial Banking. He previously served as Commercial Relationship Manager at Midland States Bank, Vice President of Commercial Banking at First Midwest Bank, and Market Manager at Regions Bank. Hutchcraft was an active member of the Krannert Museum Council and the Champaign County Community Development Corporation, and a founding member of the Regions Bank Illinois Diversity Committee. Hutchcraft earned a Bachelor of Science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Illinois Valley Regional Port District

William Zens will serve as a Member of the Illinois Valley Regional Port District.* Zens is a seasoned business leader with over a decade of management experience. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce, where he manages program development, public relations, and finances. He was previously an insurance agent at Bill Zens State Farm Agency and account executive for Great Lakes Coca-Cola. Zens is an active community member, serving as Director of Events and Partnership for the Ottawa Soccer Club and on the Utica Planning Commission and LaSalle County Tourism Coalition. Zens earned an Associate in Sciences and Arts from Illinois Valley Community College and a Bachelor of Science from Northern Illinois University.

Janette Marie will serve as a Member of the Illinois Valley Regional Port District.* Marie has a background in executive business affairs, sales, and film production. She currently serves as an Account Manager at Acrisure Insurance/Harauer Insurance Agency. She was also the cinematographer of the 2015 independent feature documentary, For the Incurable Insane. Marie earned an associate’s degree from Illinois Valley Community College and a Bachelor of Arts from Southern Illinois University.

Northeastern Illinois University Board of Trustees

Ann Kalayil will continue to serve as a Member of the Northeastern Illinois University Board of Trustees.* Kalayil has built a successful career in construction, asset management, and infrastructure development. She is currently the Associate Vice President of Facilities and Construction at Columbia College Chicago. In this role, she oversees the planning and management of all college facilities and auxiliary services and represents the college in high-level negotiations with local government. Kalayil earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois Chicago, Bachelor of Science from Northeastern Illinois University, and a Master of Arts from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission

Naomi Johnson will serve as a Member of the Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission.* Johnson is the Co-Executive Director of Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts, where she leads research, advocacy, and community education efforts with coalition members and partners. She also oversees all qualitative data collection, including semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and court-watching. Johnson has been recognized for her work and received the Excellence in Anthropology Research and Increasing Diversity in Evolutionary Anthropological Sciences Award from Washington University in St. Louis. Johnson earned a Bachelor of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis and Master of Social Work from the University of Chicago.

Michael Strom will continue to serve as a Member of the Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission.* Strom has over 30 years of experience as a lead trial counsel, handling complex civil cases, often involving catastrophic injuries. He transitioned from private practice and became a Staff Attorney at the Office of the Chief Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County, where he contributed to the development of restorative justice reform initiatives. In 2019, the Illinois Supreme Court appointed him to fill a 23-month Circuit Court vacancy, where he primarily served in the Housing Court and reviewed Chicago Administrative Hearing appeals. As president of Decalogue Society of Lawyers, he brought restorative justice programs to under-resourced public schools by recruiting bar associations to provide lawyers for volunteer work with students and teachers. For 30 years, he returned annually to South Shore High School to teach trial processes and coach mock trial teams. Strom earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois and a Juris Doctor from Boston University.

* Appointments pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.

###