Gov. Pritzker Announces Three Appointments to Boards and Commissions

Illinois State Museum Board

Jenny Davis will serve as a Member of the Illinois State Museum Board.* Davis is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and Associate Professor of Anthropology and American Indian Studies at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). There, she directs the American Indian Studies Program. From 2017-2020, she served as Acting Officer of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) for the Department of Anthropology and the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at UIUC. Additionally, she has served as Co/Chair of the campus NAGPRA Advisory Committee since its establishment in 2020. She has served as Member of the Commission for the Ethical Treatment of Human Remains (TCETHER) of the American Anthropological Association since 2023. In 2021, Davis received the Dynamic Woman of the Year Award from the Chickasaw Nation, which is given annually for significant contributions to the Chickasaw Nation and its people through community engagement and work preserving its linguistic and cultural heritage.

Illinois Affordable Housing Advisory Commission

Juliana Gonzalez-Crussi will continue to serve as a Member of the Illinois Affordable Housing Advisory Commission.* Gonzalez-Crussi has over 25 years of extensive experience in advancing racial equity within the fields of housing, workforce, entrepreneurialism, and community development. As an accomplished public service leader, she has a solid understanding of nonprofits, and she has held a gubernatorial appointed position to the Illinois Housing Development Authority Trust Fund Advisory Board, a mayoral appointment to the Chicago Low-Income Housing Trust Fund, and she currently serves on the Chicago Housing Authority board. ​ She is President and CEO of Center for Changing Lives and former Director of Housing Counseling & Advocacy department at Latin United Community Housing Association (LUCHA). Previously, she worked as Senior Policy Analyst on housing issues at the Latino Policy Forum, Senior Housing Research Analyst at DePaul University Real Estate Center’s Institute for Housing Studies, and as Director of Housing for Illinois Migrant Council. Gonzalez-Crussi brings significant international experience as well, as she has taught English as a second language in Mexico, France, and China. She also serves on the board of the Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance (CAFHA). She received her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and her Master of Science in International Public Service from DePaul University. 

Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes

Dr. Dilara Sayeed will continue to serve as a Member of the Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes.* Sayeed’s lived experiences have fueled her ambition to advocate for equity and access for all our residents, especially those in underrepresented communities. She is proud of her first graduation from Head Start preschool for low-income children, which laid the foundation for her most recent graduation with a doctoral degree from Harvard University. During her career, Sayeed has served as an award-winning teacher and administrator, a nonprofit civic leader, and a social impact entrepreneur. Sayeed serves as President of Muslim Civic Coalition, where her team works with partners and allies of all races, faiths, and backgrounds towards civic justice, ensuring everyone can build a life and thrive as an American resident. In 2024, Sayeed received an honorary doctorate from Chicago Theological Seminary for her faith-grounded civic leadership.

* Appointments pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.

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