Gov. Pritzker Announces Three Appointments to Boards and Commissions
Building on a strong team of diverse experts in their fields, Governor JB Pritzker announced the following appointments in his administration
June 13, 2025
Health Benefits Exchange Advisory Committee
Melissa Shepherd will serve as a Member of the Health Benefits Exchange Advisory Committee.* Shepard has been a life and health insurance agent for 25 years. She currently serves as Managing Member with Way Insurance Services LLC, where she guides customers to health plans that fit their personal and financial situations. Shepherd is also currently the Co-Legislative Chair for the Illinois Chapter of National Association Benefit and Insurance Professionals. She has been recognized for her accomplishments and was awarded the Five over 40 Award by the Galesburg Chamber of Commerce. Shepherd attended Carl Sandburg College.
Illinois Affordable Housing Advisory Commission
Henry Mendoza will continue to serve as a Member of the Illinois Affordable Housing Advisory Commission.* Mendoza is a strategic executive with over 55 years of leadership experience in project finance, infrastructure development, and multimedia publishing. Mendoza is the Co-Founder of Megalytics LLC, providing data-driven solutions that mitigate risk and optimize economic outcomes. He is also the owner of Henry C. Mendoza & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in project finance for municipal infrastructure and affordable housing projects. Mendoza attended Loyola University and graduated from the ABA Graduate School of Banking at University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Illinois State Medical Board
Mohammed Asif will serve as a member of the Illinois State Medical Board.* Asif has dedicated over a decade of his professional career to medicine. He currently serves as an Attending Surgeon at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center and Clinical Assistant Professor at University of Illinois Rockford School of Medicine, where he consistently works to improve safety measures and surgical outcomes for his patients. His specialty has been focused on burn research, reconstructive surgery, and plastic surgery. He has also completed a burn surgery fellowship program at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and a plastic surgery fellowship program at Rush University School of Medicine. Asif received a Bachelor of Science from Bowie State University and a Doctor of Medicine from the American University of Integrated Sciences Barbados School of Medicine.
* Appointments pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.
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