Gov. Pritzker Announces Nine Appointments to Boards and Commissions

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Board of Trustees

Martin Sandoval will continue to serve as a Member of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Board of Trustees.* Sandoval has over 25 years of experience in business, strategic planning, and financial management. He currently serves as the founding partner at Compass Associates and has previously held leadership roles at Sara Lee Corporation, McDonald’s Corporation, and Arthur Andersen. Sandoval is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Illinois CPA Society. He has also served as Vice President of the National Museum of Mexican Art, Treasurer of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce, and Vice Chair of the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement. Sandoval earned a Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Master of Science in Business Administration from DePaul University.

Employment Security Board of Review

Brittany Kimble will continue to serve as a Member of the Employment Security Board of Review.* Kimble has over a decade of experience running her own law practice, The Law Offices of Brittany B. Kimble, where she represents clients in various matters and prepares motions and conducts hearings in complex criminal and civil litigation. She also serves as an MLBPA Sports Agent for Robinson Sports Unlimited, where she specializes in contract negotiation. In addition, she has experience as a former Attorney Advisor for the U.S. Social Security Administration. Kimble is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and she earned a Bachelor of Science from Jackson State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri School of Law.

Energy Workforce Advisory Council

Ramone Collins will serve as a Member of the Energy Workforce Advisory Council.* Collins currently serves as the Project Manager and Coordinator for the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Inc., a nonprofit organization that has been providing social services to the St. Louis community since 1918. In this role, he assists in grant proposals, leads outreach activities, and ensures compliance. Collins has also led a workforce development agency, driving meaningful change and creating lasting impact in the East St. Louis community. He also serves on the Highway Construction Career Training Program Advisory Board. Collins earned a degree in Education from Southwestern Illinois College and is pursuing a Theology degree from Anchor Theological Seminary.

Firearm Owner’s Identification Card Review Board

Frank DePodesta will continue to serve as a Member of the Firearm Owner’s Identification Card Review Board.* DePodesta has over 30 years of law enforcement experience from the FBI, U.S. Army, and State of Illinois. He retired after nearly three decades with the FBI, where he served as a Supervisory Special Agent. In this role, DePodesta led teams of field agents, investigated crimes ranging from public corruption to civil rights abuses, and served as an expert witness in federal narcotic trafficking cases. He is currently a Partner at PAX Group, a global consulting firm, where he advises clients on security matters. DePodesta was awarded the FBI’s Medal for Meritorious Achievement in 2017 and was the recipient of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force National Award in 2020. DePodesta earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan.

Illinois Labor Relations Board

Lynne Sered will continue to serve as a Member of the Illinois Labor Relations Board.* Before her appointment to the Illinois Labor Relations Board, Sered served as Chairman of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board for ten years. Sered has extensive legal experience, including serving as Counsel to the Honorable Wilford W. Johansen, a Member of the National Labor Relations (NLRB), where she represented the NLRB in cases before the Second and Sixth Circuit Courts of Appeals. In private practice at Scariano, Kula, Ellch & Himes, Chtd., she counseled school districts, private employers, and labor clients on labor law and collective bargaining matters. Sered also served as Legal Director of the American Jewish Congress, Midwest Region, managing its civil liberties and civil rights program and overseeing a pro bono clinic. In addition, she has held roles with the Jewish Community Relations Council and the Jewish Labor Committee. Sered earned her Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University and her Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law.

Kendra Cunningham will continue to serve as a Member of the Illinois Labor Relations Board.* Prior to her appointment, Cunningham was the Staff Attorney and Business Manager of the Illinois State Employees Association of Laborers’ Local 2002. Cunningham earned a Bachelor of Science in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration from Western Illinois University and a Juris Doctor from Southern Illinois University.

Illinois Gaming Board

Stephen Ferrara will serve as a Member of the Illinois Gaming Board.* Ferrara is an experienced Board Advisor at SRF Advisors, specializing in guiding organizations through transformative change and strategic growth. He brings extensive experience and expertise in profit enhancement, governance, financial oversight, risk management, and leadership development. Ferrera spent over three decades at BDO USA, where he ultimately served as Chief Operating Officer. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and serves on the Northern Illinois University Business School Advisory Board. In addition, he is a former board member of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. Ferrara earned a Bachelor of Science from Northern Illinois University.

Illinois Student Assistance Commission

Samiha Syed will serve as a Member of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.* Syed has served as an elected member of the Illinois Board of Higher Education and its Strategic Planning Committee, helping shape the state's ten-year plan, "A Thriving Illinois." Her leadership extends to being the twice-elected President of Illinois Student Governments, President of Benedictine University Student Senate, and serving as president of 12 student during her undergraduate years. She is also an Interfaith America Fellow and a Benedictine University Women’s Leadership Program Fellow. Syed was named a Lincoln Laureate in 2020 and has been honored by the Phi Theta Kappa International Honors Society as one of the top 20 student leaders in the nation. Syed earned her Associate of Science from the College of DuPage and her Bachelor of Arts from Benedictine University. ​

State Board of Health

John Herrmann will continue to serve as a Member of the State Board of Health.* Herrmann has extensive experience in public health and health policy at local, state, and national levels. He is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and served on the first State Health Improvement Plan Task Force. Previously, he served as an AAAS Science and Technology Fellow and Legislative Assistant at the Office of Senator Durbin, advising on public health policy. Herrmann has received numerous awards, including two Silver Circle awards for teaching excellence from the University of Illinois, the Health Policy and Administration Alumni Award, and the Senator John Melcher Award for Public Policy. Herrmann earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Illinois Wesleyan University, a Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Illinois, and a Master of Public Health from the University of Illinois.

* Appointments pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.

###