Gov. Pritzker Announces Two 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
April 25, 2025
Employment Security Advisory Board
Megan Bates will serve as a Member of the Employment Security Advisory Board.* Bates currently serves as the inaugural Director of the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC) at the University of Illinois System. IWERC is a research-practice partnership with the State of Illinois that focuses on emergent education issues of interest to policymakers and practitioners. Since joining IWERC in 2020, Bates has cultivated strong relationships with state government, developed innovative data-sharing agreements with state units, overseen the production of 40 research reports, and secured funding for the initiative. Prior to IWERC, she spent over a decade at the University of Chicago working with schools and teachers on STEM education research, technology, and pedagogy. She has served as a principal investigator on numerous National Science Foundation grants related to mathematics and science teacher learning and STEM teacher retention. Bates earned a Bachelor of Arts from Millikin University and a Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Illinois Human Rights Commission
Gregory Vaci will serve as a Member of the Illinois Human Rights Commission.* Vaci is an experienced attorney with expertise in labor and employment law. He has litigated cases involving claims of discrimination and workplace harassment in both federal and state courts, as well as in administrative agencies. Vaci most recently served as the DuPage County Investigator General and led the Civil Actions Bureau within the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office. Additionally, Vaci brings a wealth of experience from his tenure in the Labor and Employment Unit within the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. Vaci earned a Bachelor of Science from Loyola University Chicago and Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law.
* Appointments pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.
###