Gov. Pritzker Announces Four Appointments to Boards and Commissions

Children and Family Services Advisory Council

Jennifer Ramirez will serve as a Member of the Children and Family Services Advisory Council.* Ramirez currently serves as Executive Director of Youth Development at the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago and as Adjunct Instructor of Early Childhood Education at Morton College. Prior to her current roles, Ramirez worked as Senior Regional Program Director of Youth Development with the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, as well as numerous positions at the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago. Ramirez is active in her community, serving on the Illinois Association for the Education of Young Children (AEYC) Governing Board, which awarded her the Children’s Champion Award in 2024. Ramirez earned her Associate of Arts in Child Development and Psychology from Morton College, her Bachelor of Arts in Cognitive Studies and Education from Ashford University, and her Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education Leadership and Early Childhood Education and Teaching from University of Arizona.

Guardianship and Advocacy Commission

Bob Morgan will continue to serve as a Member of the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission.* Morgan has represented Illinois’ 58th District in the Illinois House of Representatives since 2019. He has served on the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission since 2024. In Springfield, Morgan serves as Chair of the Health Care Licenses Committee and Vice Chair of the Insurance Committee, while also contributing to the Appropriations, Judiciary, and Mental Health and Addiction committees, among others. He began his career in healthcare consulting, advising hospital systems before joining state government as Deputy General Counsel for Employee Benefits at the Department of Central Management Services. He later served as General Counsel for the Illinois Department of Public Health, overseeing key areas such as healthcare facility licensing, emergency preparedness, communicable disease control, maternal and child health, and mental health services. Morgan earned his Bachelor of Political Science from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and his Juris Doctorate from Northern Illinois University College of Law.

Illinois Affordable Housing Advisory Commission

Veronica Gonzalez will continue to serve as a Member of the Illinois Affordable Housing Advisory Commission.* Gonzalez is currently Midwest Regional Director of Development at the National Housing Partnership Foundation (NHPF), where she works on affordable housing projects. Prior to this role, Gonzalez worked as Vice President of Real Estate Development at the Resurrection Project, Manager at Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP, and as a manager, planner, and associate director at numerous other affordable housing-focused organizations, bringing over 20 years of experience in her field to the Commission. Gonzalez earned her Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy Studies from University of Chicago and her Master of Urban Planning from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Illinois State Medical Board

Kari Wolf will serve as a Member of the Illinois State Medical Board.* Wolf currently serves as CEO of Illinois’ Behavioral Health Workforce Center. Additionally, she serves as the investigator on several grants related to workforce development, and she is actively working with multiple partner organizations to enhance the behavioral health system of care across the state. Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Wolf holds leadership roles in numerous professional organizations. Wolf has significant expertise in curriculum development, mentoring, quality improvement processes, health policy development, change management, and strategic planning. Wolf earned her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from William Smith College and her Medical Doctorate from University of Iowa.

* Appointments pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.

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