Gov. Pritzker Announces Illinois State Attainment Working Group Members
Working group will help prepare Illinois’ workforce for the jobs of the future
April 20, 2026
CHICAGO — Today, Governor JB Pritzker announced 11 appointments to the Illinois State Attainment Working Group. Established by the Governor’s Executive Order 2026-03 last month, the working group will establish statewide goals to prepare Illinois’ workforce for the jobs of the future by bringing together a diverse group of expert voices.
“I’m pleased to appoint this talented group of experts to the Illinois State Attainment Working Group. Their vital evaluations will help Illinois support its workforce and strengthen our growing economy in the years to come,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Companies from around the globe continue to choose Illinois because of our world-class workforce, and this working group will provide key insights into how we can give workers across Illinois the tools they need to thrive long-term.”
The Illinois State Attainment Working Group’s primary focus is twofold:
- Evaluate Illinois’ workforce and training needs to support economic mobility and growth. The working group will identify degrees, certificates, and workforce credentials that can help Illinoisans meet future labor market demands and support economic mobility and growth statewide.
- Recommend a state postsecondary attainment goal for 2040. Postsecondary attainment refers to the percentage of adults who successfully obtained a degree, earned a credential, or completed a training program after high school. The Working Group will recommend a new goal for 2040 aligned with future needs. In Illinois, nearly 60% of Illinois adults currently hold a postsecondary credential.
Information about the Illinois State Attainment Working Group appointees is below:
Education and Workforce Members
- Ginger Ostro (IBHE, Co-Chair): Ginger Ostro currently serves as Executive Director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE). Previously, Ostro served as Executive Director of Advance Illinois. Earlier in her career, Ostro served as Deputy Executive Director of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) and as Director of the Office of Budget Planning at Governors State University.
- Kristin Richards, (DCEO, Co-Chair): Kristin Richards currently serves as Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). Previously, Richards served as Director of the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). There, she oversaw the provision of more than $38 billion in unemployment benefits to hard-hit families during the pandemic. With over 20 years of public service experience, Richards has served under two Governors and as Chief of Staff for two Senate Presidents.
- Brian Durham (ICCB): Dr. Brian Durham currently serves as Executive Director of the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB). Previously, Durham served as the Board’s Chief Academic Officer, regularly interfacing with the system’s instructional leaders and faculty. Durham has also served in the workforce development field, teaching at both the community college and university levels.
- Ray Marchiori, (IDES, Co-Chair): Ray Marchiori currently serves as Director of IDES. Previously, Marchiori served as Chief of Staff at IDES. Marchiori has over 25 years of public service experience, having served in executive-level roles for county, state, and federal agencies.
- Sandeep Nain (IWIB): Sandeep Nain currently serves on the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board (IWIB) and is President and Founder of SNtial Technologies, a Chicagoland-based IT consulting company focused on systems integration and custom application development. Nain is a Leadership Greater Chicago 2024 Daniel Burnham Fellow, was selected for the 2023 Business Leaders of Color list by Chicago United, and was inducted into University of Illinois Chicago’s Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame.
- Tony Sanders (ISBE): Dr. Tony Sanders currently serves as the Illinois State Superintendent of Education. Previously, Sanders served as Superintendent of School District U-46 in Elgin. Prior to becoming the U-46 Superintendent in 2014, Sanders served as the district’s Chief of Staff and Chief Communications Officer.
- Eric Zarnikow (ISAC): Eric Zarnikow currently serves as Executive Director of ISAC. Previously, Zarnikow served as Associate Administrator of the Office of Capital Access at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). In this role, he was responsible for the agency’s programs and operations concerning financial assistance to small businesses, 800 employees, and a $90 billion loan and investment portfolio. Prior to his service at the SBA, Zarnikow spent over 25 years in the private sector, serving as Senior Vice President, Chief Risk Officer, and Treasurer at ServiceMaster.
Advisory Members
- Willette Benford (Office of the First Lady): Willette Benford currently serves as Senior Advisor to the First Lady of Illinois. Previously, she served as the first Office of Reentry Director in the Office of the Mayor of Chicago. There, she led the Mayor’s Interagency Reentry Council. Prior to her role in the Mayor’s Office, Willette led decarceration efforts for Live Free Illinois, a faith-based organization that addresses gun violence, mass incarceration, and police violence in the community.
- Lee Fiorio (IDPH): Lee Fiorio is currently Senior State Demographer at the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). Previously, Fiorio was Senior Research Methodologist for NORC at University of Chicago, originally known as the National Opinion Research Center.
- Latoya Hughes (IDOC): Latoya Hughes currently serves as Director of the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC). Previously, Hughes served as Chief of Staff and Chief Inspector at IDOC. Prior to joining IDOC, Hughes served as Assistant State’s Attorney in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
- Dulce Quintero (IDHS): Dulce Quintero currently serves as Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), the first nonbinary individual to lead an Illinois department. Previously, Quintero served as Assistant Secretary of Operations at IDHS, where they led the department’s COVID-19 response with a focus on equity. They also oversaw areas such as human capital, information technology, budget, and finance. Prior to joining IDHS, Quintero served as Director of Operations for the Erie Humboldt Park Health Center, a community health center providing medical services on Chicago’s Northwest side.
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