Gov. Pritzker Announces Three Appointments to Boards and Commissions

Children and Family Services Advisory Council

Lakeshia Robinson will continue to serve as a Member of the Children and Family Services Advisory Council.* Robinson currently serves as President and Founder of Elements of Life Coaching, where she offers life coaching, parent coaching, and early intervention mental health and social work services to children, parents, and individuals. Robinson brings over 15 years of experience in the social work field, previously serving as Family Advocacy Worker at Family Focus Inc., Housing Case Manager at Centers for New Horizons, Family Service Worker at Chicago Youth Centers, among other roles. Robinson earned her Bachelor of Science in Social Work and her Master of Social Work from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

State Board of Health

Julie Morita will serve as a Member of the State Board of Health.* Morita currently serves as President and CEO of the Joyce Foundation, overseeing the charitable distribution of $65 million annually from assets of $1.3 billion, funding policy and other strategies designed to advance racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region. Prior to her work at the Joyce Foundation, Morita was Executive Vice President of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, overseeing programs addressing systemic barriers to racial and health equity. Previously, she helped lead the Chicago Department of Public Health for nearly two decades, serving as Commissioner, Chief Medical Officer, and Medical Director throughout her tenure. Morita has also served as an advisor to several federal entities, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the White House as a member of President Joe Biden's COVID-19 Advisory Board. Morita earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and her Doctor of Medicine from University of Illinois Chicago.

Margarita Teran-Garcia will serve as a Member of the State Board of Health.* Teran-Garcia currently serves as Director for Applied Health Professions at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Illinois Extension, where she develops and implements statewide educational curricula to address critical health issues and conducts transdisciplinary applied research on challenges like obesity and nutrition-related diseases. Teran-Garcia joined the university in 2008, previously serving as Assistant Dean and Program Leader for Integrated Health Disparities, Extension Specialist for Hispanic Health Programs, and Assistant Professor. Before that, Teran-Garcia gained experience as Associate Scientist at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Teran-Garcia has been involved with several notable public health organizations, including the American Society for Nutrition, the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior, and The Obesity Society. Teran-Garcia earned her medical degree from National Autonomous University of Mexico and her Doctor of Philosophy in Metabolism/Nutrient-Gene Interactions from University of Texas at Austin.

* Appointments pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.

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