Gov. Pritzker Announces Ten Appointments to Agencies, Boards and Commissions

Illinois Department of Early Childhood

Antonia Whalen will serve as the Assistant Secretary of Education & Care Services of the Illinois Department of Early Childhood.* Whalen currently serves as Chief Transition Design Officer at the Illinois Department of Early Childhood. Previously, she served as Director of Policy for Advance Illinois. There, she worked on education advocacy issues, including addressing Illinois' teacher shortage, the improved use of data to drive decision making, social-and-emotional learning, education funding, and more. Before joining Advance Illinois, she was Associate Chief of Academics at Denver Public Schools. From 2015 to 2017, she served under Arne Duncan and John King as Senior Advisor to the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education. Whalen has also served as Director of Policy at the not-for-profit Education Post and in various roles at the U.S. Department of Education, including Special Assistant in the Office of the Secretary and Director of the Implementation and Support Unit. Prior to joining the Obama Administration, she served as Deputy to the Chief Education Officer at Chicago Public Schools, Deputy Director of Special Initiatives for the Chief Executive Officer of Chicago Public Schools, and Project Administrator at the Chicago Department of Planning and Development. Whalen earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Stanford University.

Whalen’s appointment is effective January 15, 2026.

Employment Security Advisory Board

Harish Patel will serve as a Member of the Employment Security Advisory Board.* Patel currently serves as Vice President of Partnerships at the Economic Security Project. Previously, Patel served as Vice President of Build the Field. Patel has a distinguished career in economic development and policy, with experience including Deputy Director of New America in Chicago, Co-Owner of fair-trade clothing line Ishi Vest, and Social Innovator at media lab Accelerate Change. Patel earned both his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy and his Master of Urban Planning and Policy from University of Chicago.

Illinois Affordable Housing Advisory Commission

Camille Dorris will continue to serve as a Member of the Illinois Affordable Housing Advisory Commission.* Dorris currently serves as Executive Director of the Southern Illinois Coalition for the Homeless, a nonprofit organization providing supportive housing and outreach services across Southern Illinois. Previously, Dorris served as Domestic Violence Shelter Program Coordinator and later as Executive Director at the Survivor Empowerment Center (formerly the Women’s Center). Earlier in her career, Dorris specialized in vocational development with low-income individuals and people with disabilities, providing job skills training, job development, and placement, and she supported employment services in various roles. Dorris currently serves on the board of the Carbondale Affordable Housing Not-For-Profit and the Sparrow Coalition. Through these efforts, she helped develop the Carbondale Warming Center, where she continues to serve as an ex officio board member. Dorris is also Regional Representative of the Southern Illinois Continuum of Care, previously serving as President. Dorris earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and her Master of Social Work from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Illinois Finance Authority

Karen Caldwell will continue to serve as a Member of the Illinois Finance Authority.* Caldwell currently serves as Chief Operations and Financial Officer at Tides Network. Previously, she served as Chief Financial Officer for Reform Alliance, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer for the National Housing Partnership Foundation, and Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President at the New York City Housing Authority. Caldwell has been an active trustee with several financial organizations, including Saba Capital Income & Opportunities Fund, Finite Solar Finance Fund, and Templeton Global Income Fund. Caldwell earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Florida A&M University and her Master of Business Administration with a focus in Finance and Marketing from Northwestern University.

Illinois State Medical Board

Thomas Granatir will serve as a Member of the Illinois State Medical Board.* Granatir most recently served as Senior Vice President for Policy, Advocacy, and Public Affairs at the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), from 2010 to 2023. Previously, he held numerous professional roles focusing on mental health, public health, and hospital policy with the American Hospital Association, the Health Research and Educational Trust, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the Health and Medicine Policy Research Group, and Humana Inc. in the United States and the United Kingdom. Granatir currently serves as Director for the American Board of Preventive Medicine, a founding Director of the International Society for the Advancement of Continued Competence, and Chair of the Public Member Committee for the Institute for Credentialing Excellence. He has sesrved as Director on several other quality, safety, and public health-related organizations, including the American Health Quality Association, the National Association of Health Data Organizations, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, the Physician Coalition for Performance Improvement, and Catholic Health Initiatives Health. Granatir earned his Bachelor of Philosophy and French Literature and his Master of Health Policy and Evaluation from University of Chicago.

Illinois State Museum Board

Mike Murphy will continue to serve as a Member of the Illinois State Museum Board.* Murphy currently serves as President and CEO of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce. Previously, Murphy served as State Representative of the 99th District in the Illinois General Assembly from 2019 to 2021. Murphy served on the Divernon School Board and the Divernon Village Board before his election to the General Assembly. Prior to his public service, Murphy spent much of his career in the restaurant industry, including as Owner and Operator of Charlie Parker’s Diner in Springfield. Murphy served in the U.S. Army from 1973 to 1976 as Air Traffic Controller, including a tour in South Korea. Murphy attended Eastern Illinois University.

Public Administrators and Public Guardians

Gregory Barry will continue to serve as the Public Administrator and Public Guardian of McHenry County.* Barry currently serves as Partner at Zukowski, Rogers, Flood, and McArdle in McHenry County, leading the firm’s probate, guardianship, and estate planning practices. Previously, Barry gained experience at Texas and Chicago area law firms. He has served as Public Guardian and Public Administrator of McHenry County since 2019 and serves on several Chicago area nonprofit boards, including the Family Health Partnership Clinic of Crystal Lake and Age Guide Northeastern Illinois. Barry earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics, French, and Theology from University of Notre Dame and his Juris Doctorate from University of Texas.

Rebecca O’Neill will continue to serve as the Public Administrator and Public Guardian of Alexander, Perry, Franklin, Hardin, Pope, Pulaski, Jackson, Randolph, Johnson, Saline, Massac, Union, and Williamson Counties.* O’Neill currently serves as Owner and Principal Attorney of her own practice: Rebecca J. O’Neill, Attorney at Law. Previously, O’Neill taught for 31 years at Southern Illinois University School of Law’s (SIU Law) Elder Clinic. There, she taught students how to practice law while providing free legal services to elderly. During her career at SIU Law, O’Neill was bestowed numerous prestigious awards, including the Governor’s Aging Award, the Excellence in Education Award, the Leaders Among Us Award, the Lindell W. Sturgis Memorial Public Service Award, and the Human Rights Defender Award, Southern Illinois Chapter of the United Nations. O’Neill earned her Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Political Science from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and her Juris Doctorate from Southern Illinois University School of Law.

Quality Care Board

Nancy Sage will continue to serve as a Member of the Quality Care Board.* Sage most recently served as Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Springfield, leading its operations until her retirement in November 2024 after nearly 10 years in the role. Previously, Sage was a retail management professional and served as Tobacco Use Prevention Manager with the Illinois Department of Public Health and Policy Program Manager under the Office of the Inspector General with the Illinois Department of Human Services. Sage has experience in policy analysis, drafting rules for semi-independent living programs, and once served as a house parent in a group home for children with autism. Sage has been an advocate in Illinois for the responsible service of alcohol and tobacco use prevention. Sage earned her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from The Ohio State University.

Tri-County River Valley Development Authority

Luke Ogan will serve as a Member of the Tri-County River Valley Development Authority.* Ogan currently serves as Business Representative and Journeyman with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 649, representing operating engineers across Central and Northern Illinois. Ogan was recently elected Chairman of the Downstate Infrastructure Awareness and Advancement Fund, a joint labor-management trust dedicated to expanding employment opportunities, growing the construction market, strengthening communication between labor and management, and advancing collaborative approaches that improve effectiveness for both workers and employers. Ogan earned his high school diploma from Ridgeview High School and attended Heartland Community College.

* Appointments pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.

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