Gov. Pritzker Announces Ten Appointments to Boards and Commissions

Central Midwest Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission

William Roy will serve as a Member of the Central Midwest Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission.* Roy is a recognized expert in geology and chemistry as they relate to waste management. He spent 33 years as a geochemist at the Illinois State Geological Survey for 33 years, leading research on various waste types, including radioactive, municipal, coal-related, and hazardous liquid wastes. Since 2013, he has served as a professor and lecturer in the Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering at the University of Illinois. His current research focuses on waste management, public policy, and the decommissioning and environmental restoration of nuclear energy facilities. Roy earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Geology from Indiana University and a Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Physical Chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Commission on Equity and Inclusion

Cleric Richard Costes will continue to serve as a Member of the Commission on Equity and Inclusion.* Costes is a recognized leader for his advocacy in disability rights. As a freelance accessibility consultant, he has guided initiatives across various industries. Previously, Costes served as the Board Administrator for Communication Service for the Deaf, Inc., Manager of Chapter and Membership Services for the Association for Corporate Growth, and Executive Director of the Oakland Center for the Arts in Ohio. Additionally, he is a member of Disability Lead, the National Theatre of the Deaf, Inc., and 3Arts Artist Council. Costes earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies from Kent State University.

Van Philip Austin will continue to serve as a Member of the Commission on Equity and Inclusion.* Austin has nearly 20 years of experience in procurement and project management. Before his appointment to the Commission on Equity and Inclusion, Austin served as an Agency Procurement Officer at the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology, where he was the principal policy-formulating administrator for procurement operations. Additionally, he was the Agency Procurement Officer for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and served as a Policy Advisor for the Chief Procurement Officer for the Illinois Capital Development Board. Austin earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Illinois.

Nina Harris will continue to serve as Chair of the Commission on Equity and Inclusion.* Harris has over 30 years of experience in executive leadership, policy creation, capacity-building, business analysis, and entrepreneurship. As Chairperson of the Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion, she leads efforts to expand state contracting through supplier diversity. Previously, she was the Chief Administrative Officer at the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology. She made history as the first female president and CEO of the Springfield Urban League Inc. Under her leadership, the organization expanded social entrepreneurship, workforce training, early childhood education, and population health research. Her strategic efforts led to an 82% budget increase and the elimination of all debt for the first time in the agency’s 97-year history. Harris earned a Bachelor of Arts from Sangamon State University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Illinois.

Ennedy Rivera will continue to serve as a Member of the Commission on Equity and Inclusion.* Rivera is a distinguished attorney with a career dedicated to public service, legal counsel, and advocacy for equity and inclusion. During her tenure on the Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion, she has led initiatives to streamline certification processes, enhance operational efficiency, and expand procurement opportunities for minority-owned businesses. Rivera has held prominent roles throughout her career, including Chief Legal Counsel for the City of Chicago’s Office of the City Clerk, Deputy General Counsel at the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, and as General Counsel to the Illinois Lieutenant Governor. She is a Board Trustee for Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart and an active member of the Puerto Rican Society and the Diverse Scholarship Foundation. Rivera earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Juris Doctor from DePaul University.

Employment Security Review Board

Deborah Hagan will continue to serve as a Member of the Employment Security Board of Review.* After nearly 40 years of service to the State of Illinois, Hagan retired in 2021 as Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Previously, she was the Consumer Protection Division Chief and Assistant Attorney General at the Illinois Attorney General’s Office where she advanced the interests of Illinois consumers in mortgage origination and servicing, student loan servicing, debt collection, and identity theft. Hagan played a key leadership role in securing groundbreaking state and national settlements, recovering billions of dollars for victims of consumer fraud. Hagan earned a Bachelor of Arts from Miami University and Juris Doctor from the University of Dayton School of Law.

Property Tax Appeal Board

Sarah Buckley will continue to serve as a Member of the Property Tax Appeal Board.* Buckley has nearly 20 years of experience as a commercial real estate professional and has ​ served on the Property Tax Appeal Board since 2020. In her primary role as a due diligence consultant, Buckley assesses the engineering and environmental risks associated with multi-family, office, and industrial properties. Over the course of her career, she has conducted inspections of more than 3,000 properties across the nation, with a particular focus on the Chicagoland and Midwest regions. In addition to her real estate expertise, Buckley is a licensed attorney in Illinois, where she practiced for over three years in various legal fields before transitioning back to real estate consulting. Buckley earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Michigan and Juris Doctor from DePaul University.

Kevin Freeman will continue to serve as Chair of the Property Tax Appeal Board.* Freeman has served on the Property Tax Appeal Board since his initial appointment in 2003. He also serves as the Vice President and Chief Counsel, Finance & Transactions, at Tenneco Inc., a multi-billion-dollar company with over 100 facilities in more than 25 countries. Prior to joining Tenneco, he served for over five years as Senior M&A Counsel at Accenture LLP, a Fortune 500, publicly traded, $40B dollar revenue company where he led global acquisitions, equity investments, and joint venture formation on behalf of Accenture. Freeman also brings over 18 years of private practice experience, focusing on mergers and acquisitions and general corporate and commercial matters. He also served on the Cook County Zoning Board of Appeals from 1998 until 2018 and on a variety of nonprofit boards. Freeman earned a Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School.

State Mining Board

Robert Eggerman will continue to serve on the State Mining Board.* Eggerman is a U.S. Army Veteran and retired coal miner of 38 years. He began his coal mining career at Peabody Coal #10 in Pawnee and later worked at ADM for almost 4 years. He later served as a Mine Supervisor at Freeman United Crown II Mine and Tri County Coal before joining the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in 2012 as a State Mine Inspector. Eggerman attended Lincoln Land Community College and earned a HVAC Certificate.

Stephen Willis will continue to serve on the State Mining Board.* Willis joined the United Mine Workers of America and began his mining career with Old Ben Coal Company in 1972. He later spent 12 years at Kerr McGee/American Coal where he served as a safety director and then safety manager of all three underground mines as well as the prep plant. From 2011 to 2013, he was the mine superintendent at the New Future and New Era mine and in 2014, became a regional corporate safety director for Murray Energy overseeing mines in Illinois, Kentucky and Utah, where he remained until his retirement in 2016.

* Appointments pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.

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