Gov. Pritzker Announces Three Appointments to Boards and Commissions

Executive Ethics Commission

Deb Steiner will serve as a Member of the Executive Ethics Commission.* Steiner is an accomplished professional with over 20 years of leadership and legal counseling experience. She currently serves as RR Donnelley’s Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Legal Officer. In this capacity, she oversees more than 300 employees, advises executive leadership across domestic and international platforms operating in countries around the world, and chairs the company’s Ethics and Compliance Committee. Previously, Steiner served in the public sector as an Assistant United States Attorney and within the Illinois Inspector General’s Office. Steiner earned a Bachelor of Arts from Manchester College and a Juris Doctor from Cornell Law School.

Employment Security Advisory Board

Christelle Khalaf will continue to serve as a Member of the Employment Security Advisory Board.* Dr. Khalaf is a dedicated economist and educator who currently serves as the Associate Director of Government Finance Research Center at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). She is also affiliated faculty with UIC’s Department of Public Policy and a Faculty Fellow at the Center for Business and Economic Analysis at the University of Wyoming. Prior to joining UIC, Dr. Khalaf served on the Advisory Panel for the Anchor Economy Initiative at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and worked as an economist with the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service at Ohio University. Dr. Khalaf earned a Bachelor of Arts from Université Saint Joseph and a Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy from North Carolina State University.

Illinois State Board of Education

Jonah Rice will serve as a Member of the Illinois State Board of Education.* Dr. Rice has been a dedicated educator and leader for 35 years, having served as President of Southeastern Illinois College, where his leadership earned multiple national Aspen nominations for excellence in education. He has also served as Chair of the Illinois Council of Community College Presidents and as a member of the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s Strategic Planning Committee. In 2019, he was honored with the Illinois Community College Trustees Association’s Advocacy Award. Aside from leading a successful community college in Illinois, Dr. Rice has also taught at various universities and served as a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission in Chicago. He is also involved in consulting and the arts, serving on the Ella Elizabeth Hise Regional Art Museum Board as well as the Southeastern Illinois College Foundation Board. Dr. Rice earned an Associate of Arts degree from Southeastern Illinois College, Bachelor of Science from Bradley University, Master of Arts from Central Michigan University, and a Doctor of Philosophy from Regent University.

* Appointments pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.

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