Gov. Pritzker Appoints Theodore D. Berger as Next Director of Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS)

CHICAGO- Today, Governor JB Pritzker announced his appointment of emergency management executive Theodore ‘Ted’ D. Berger to lead the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS), pending Senate approval. Berger joins the agency with decades of experience in emergency management and homeland security, most recently serving as Executive Director of the Cook County Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security.

“Our Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security is on the front lines every day, working to equip our communities with the programs and resources needed in times of crisis,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “With decades of emergency management experience and a wealth of knowledge about our State’s many regions, Ted Berger is an exceptionally qualified candidate to lead Illinois’ critical support efforts.”

Berger began his career in state government with the Office of the Governor’s James H. Dunn Memorial Fellowship, eventually serving in various roles across the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, and the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal. In 2012, he joined the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity as Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs, where he managed legislative portfolios and advanced tax incentives, transparency reforms, and economic development programs.

Following his time with the State of Illinois, Berger continued in public service as Chief of Staff of the City of Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications. In this role, he supported the delivery of critical services including but not limited to homeland security preparedness and response, public safety technology infrastructure, critical communications systems, large scale event management, disaster planning, non-emergency city service delivery and traffic management resource deployment.

Berger then transitioned to Cook County Government, where he served as Interim Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the President, and most recently, at the Cook County Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security. While at the agency, he helped guide Cook County’s COVID-19 response, and served as primary liaison to state and federal officials during several declared disasters. Berger also served as co-chair of both the consequence management subcommittee—in support of the Democratic National Convention National Special Security Event, and the Urban Area Working Group—facilitating grant investments across the City of Chicago and Cook County.

“IEMA-OHS has brought essential support to residents across our state before, during and after times of crisis and will continue to build a prepared and resilient Illinois,” said Theodore Berger. “I’m grateful to join Governor Pritzker’s administration, contributing to the important mission of IEMA-OHS, serving all of Illinois to respond to and recover from disasters and hazards that threaten our communities.”

Theodore Berger’s appointment is effective May 15, 2025.

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