Gov. Pritzker Announces Fourteen Appointments to Boards and Commissions

Court of Claims

Aurora Austriaco will continue to serve as a Member of the Court of Claims.* Austriaco is an experienced litigation attorney with over 30 years of expertise in commercial and real estate litigation. She is a Partner at Valentine, Austriaco & Bueschel, P.C and previously managed Austriaco & Associates, Ltd. A respected leader in the legal field, Austriaco currently serves on the Board of Governors of the American Bar Association. She made history as the first Asian American President of the Chicago Bar Association, one of the largest and oldest metropolitan bar associations in the country. She also served as President of the National Conference of Bar Presidents and President of the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois. Austriaco was also a Commissioner on the Cook County Human Rights Commission for 12 years. She currently holds board positions with the National Association of Asian American Professionals and the Asian American Coalition of Chicago. Austriaco earned both her Bachelor of Science and Juris Doctor from DePaul University.

Illinois Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes

James Bennett will continue to serve as Chair of the Illinois Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes.* Bennett has dedicated his career to providing aid and resources to underserved communities. Since 2019, he has served as the Director of the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR), where he oversees the agency’s primary goals to prohibit discrimination across protected categories. Before leading IDHR, Bennett served as Midwest Regional Director at Lambda Legal, the nation’s largest legal organization dedicated to securing full civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community and people living with HIV. He played a key role in marriage equality efforts in Illinois and Iowa and led successful opposition to discriminatory laws in Indiana. In 2013, he chaired Illinois Unites for Marriage, the coalition that secured marriage equality in Illinois. Bennett was inducted into the City of Chicago's Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in 2013, was the recipient of Equality Illinois' Freedom award in 2018, and received the Vernita Gray Lifetime Achievement Award from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office in 2024. Bennet earned a Bachelor of Science from Illinois State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Kaskaskia Regional Port District

Amanda Chase will serve as a Member of the Kaskaskia Regional Port District.* Chase currently serves as an Associate Attorney at Strellis Firm, where she represents both plaintiffs and defendants in complex litigation matters in both state and federal courts across Illinois and Missouri. She previously served as an Adjunct Professor at Lindenwood University in Belleville, an Assistant City Attorney and Community Prosecutor for the City of Dallas, and an Assistant District Attorney for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office in Houston. Chase earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Texas and Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law.

Karen Stallman will serve as a Member of the Kaskaskia Regional Port District.* Stallman currently serves as the Agricultural Resource Specialist for Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, where she oversees the coordination of the statewide Farm Family Resources Initiative, working to build a comprehensive support network for Illinois farm families. Previously, she was the Director of the Dual Credit and Dual Enrollment program, overseeing 1,300 students over 50 high schools. Stallman earned a Bachelor and Master of Science from Southern Illinois University.

Donna Richter will serve as a Member of the Kaskaskia Regional Port District.* Richter currently serves as the CEO of the Southern Illinois Builders Association (SIBA), where she has dedicated over 40 years to serving the construction industry. Under her leadership, SIBA has grown into the largest regional contractor association in Illinois, representing approximately 500 construction companies. In addition to her role at SIBA, Richter serves as the administrator for the Southern Illinois Construction Advancement Program, a nonprofit industry fund powered by employers’ contributions.

Christopher Kattenbraker will serve as a Member of the Kaskaskia Regional Port District.* Kattenbraker has dedicated his career to project and construction management. He currently serves as the Project Manager with Korte & Luitjohan Contractors. In this role, he oversees day-to-day operations, including managing change orders and procuring equipment. His experience also includes roles at Artisan Contracting, Bilfinger Industrial Services, and Roeslein Modular Fabrication in Red Bud, Illinois. Beyond his construction work, Kattenbraker is a volunteer fireman with the Waterloo and Columbia Fire Departments. Kattenbraker earned an Associate of Technology Design/Drafting from State Technical College of Missouri and earned his Firefighter II Certification from the Illinois State Fire Marshal through Southwestern Illinois College.

Robert Myerscough will continue to serve as a Member of the Kaskaskia Regional Port District.* Myerscough began his insurance career in 1976 with Prudential Insurance where, over the course of his tenure, he served as an Agent, Sales Manager, Registered Representative, and Registered Principal. In 1995, he joined the North County Savings Bank Board of Directors and continues to serve on the board. Myerscough also served on the Board of Directors of Randolph County Progress Committee, Inc. from its formation in 1988 until 2024. In 2013, he was recruited by Horse Prairie Mutual Insurance to manage day-to-day operations, guiding the company through its merger with Forreston Mutual in 2024. He remains involved in ensuring a smooth transition. Myerscough earned a degree from Nashville Auto Diesel College.

Joseph Luechtefeld will serve as a Member of the Kaskaskia Regional Port District.* Luechtefeld has dedicated his career to providing insurance options to local Illinois farmers. He currently serves as the Crop Insurance Agent with SC Crop Insurance and previously worked with Farm Credit Illinois. Luechtefeld earned an associate degree from Belleville Area College and a Bachelor of Science from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

Christina Herrmann will serve as a Member of the Kaskaskia Regional Port District.* Herrmann is a dedicated entrepreneur currently serving as the Executive Director of the Waterloo Chamber of Commerce. Previously, she provided administrative support to Birth to Five Illinois Region 45, an organization focused on improving access to local early childhood services and informing decision-makers and the community about these services in the region.

Ronald Kaempfe will continue to serve as a Member of the Kaskaskia Regional Port District.* Kaempfe is a retired business manager of International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 520. During his tenure, he provided oversight of all union business. He was first appointed to the Kaskaskia Regional Port District since 2020 and has served as a member since.

Mark Chatham will continue to serve as a Member of the Kaskaskia Regional Port District.* Chatham is a Journeyman with Steamfitters Local 439 and previously served with the East St. Louis Carpenters Local 169. An active member of his community, he was honored with a community service award from the Southwestern Central Labor Trades.

Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees

Veronica Herrero will continue to serve as a Member of the Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees.* Herrero currently serves as the Executive Vice Chancellor, Chief Institutional Advancement Officer, and Chief of Staff for the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC). In this capacity, she leads strategy, private and public fundraising, marketing, communications, and government and community relations for the Office of Institutional Advancement. Herrero is also the President of the CCC Foundation. Before her leadership at the CCC, Herrero served as the Chief Program Officer for One Million Degrees and spent four years with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) as the Deputy Officer of Student Support and Engagement. At CPS, she executed the vision and strategy for district-wide enrichment programs that served over 100,000 students. Herrero earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wisconsin and Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago.

Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees

Tonnette Williams will serve as a Member of the Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees.* Williams began her professional journey as an educator, dedicating ten years to teaching in the Chicago Public Schools system before transitioning into entrepreneurship. With a strong passion for early childhood education, she successfully established and operated childcare centers for the past 23 years. Additionally, Williams is a licensed real estate broker and investor. In 2019, she expanded her entrepreneurial endeavors by becoming a McDonald's Owner-Operator and now owns and operates five McDonald's locations in Chicago. Williams serves as Treasurer of the Chicago and Northwest Indiana Chapter of the Black McDonald’s Operators Association, and holds advisory roles on several boards, including the National Women Operators Board as a Future Franchisee Advisor, the USBank Franchisee Advisory Board, and the iHeart Radio Advisory Board. Williams earned a Bachelor of Science from Southern Illinois University, a Master of Science from Chicago State University, and Master of Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Workers' Compensation Advisory Board

Juan Carlos Lopez will serve as a Member of the Workers’ Compensation Advisory Board.* Lopez is the Director of Risk Management at United Parcel Service (UPS), a global leader in logistics and package delivery. With over 25 years of experience in the industry, he has played a key role in enhancing UPS's risk management framework and ensuring the company's operational resilience. He joined UPS in 1998, where he held various roles in operations, finance, and accounting. Lopez also serves on the Board of Directors for Kids Chance of Illinois. a nonprofit that provides post-secondary and trade school scholarships to children of Illinois workers who have been severely or fatally injured in a workplace accident. Lopez earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master of Business Administration DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management.

* Appointments pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.

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