Gov. Pritzker Announces Three Appointments to Boards and Commissions

Employment Security Advisory Board

Rick Terven will continue to serve as a Member of the Employment Security Advisory Board.* Rick Terven, Jr. serves as the Legislative and Political Director for the Illinois Pipe Trades Association representing 21 local unions and over 26,000 union members across Illinois. Terven is a member of Pipe Fitters Association Local 597 and is a graduate of SUNY Empire State University’s National Labor College with a Bachelor of Arts in Labor Studies. Terven is also a Vice-President on the Illinois AFL-CIO Executive Board, and has served as an employee representative on the Employment Security Advisory Board since 2016.

Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees

Ed HighTower will continue to serve as a Member of the Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees.* Dr. Hightower retired as Superintendent of the Edwardsville School District 7 in 2015 after 19 years in the role. Under his leadership, the school district grew from 5,000 students to over 7,000 students and developed into one of the top districts in the State—academically, athletically, and in the performing arts. Supervising over $160 million in school construction during his tenure, Dr. Hightower raised millions of dollars from private sources to build a wrestling center and aquatic center with an Olympic-sized pool as well as funding computer upgrades through the Technology in the 21st Century Classroom Initiative. He previously served on the Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees from 2001 to 2014, and spent 26 years serving on the Lewis and Clark Community College Board of Trustees. He also was an NCAA Basketball Referee for 36 years, officiating 12 Final Four Championships. Hightower has been named the Illinois Principal of the Year and Naismith College Official of the Year, received the National Distinguished Principals Award, and has been inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame and St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame. He received his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Specialist degrees from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and a Doctorate degree in Education Administration from St. Louis University.

Eastern Illinois University Board of Trustees

Charles Christopher Hicks will continue to serve as a Member of the Eastern Illinois University Board of Trustees.* Hicks is a banking and financial services professional with over 20 years of risk management and retail sales experience in Fortune 500 financial institutions. He currently serves as Assistant Vice President, Senior Financial Crimes Lead for Fifth Third Bank, and he previously served as a Vice President at MB Financial Bank, JP Morgan Chase, and Bank of America. Hicks began his career with eight years of service at LaSalle Bank in Chicago before its merger with Bank of America. Hicks received his Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts in finance from Eastern Illinois University.

* Appointments pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.

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