* Press release…

Governor Bruce Rauner today announced appointments to the State Board of Health and Workforce Investment Board. In addition, Jennifer Hammer has been named Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, as Aaron Winters transitions out of the Administration. […]

Jennifer Walsh Hammer has been named Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy. Hammer brings years of experience in Illinois policy and private practice to the position. She is currently Special Counsel to the Governor and the Healthcare and Human Services Policy Adviser.

Previously, Hammer was the Executive Director of the Healthcare Council and Legal Counsel for the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. Hammer is also an attorney and has spent a significant amount time in private practice at Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes.

In addition, Hammer is a former two-term elected Governor on the Illinois State Bar Association Board of Governors. She was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to the Board of Character and Fitness. She is also a past President of the Central Illinois Women’s Bar Association and the Junior League of Springfield. She is the Second Vice President of the Sangamon County Bar Association and a board member of the City of Springfield Community Relations Commission.

Hammer earned her bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and law degree from Southern Illinois University. She lives in Springfield.

* I truly love me some Aaron Winters and I’m really sorry to see him go. Aaron is one of those rare beings: a smart wonk with a pleasant personality. People always smile when he walks into a room, even when he’s bringing bad news.

Needless to say, his job hasn’t been easy. But as a good friend of mine said last year, “If anybody can get us a deal, Winters can.” Unfortunately, no deal was to be gotten. I don’t put that on him. At all.

I’m not sure what he’s doing next, but he’ll be good at it. Count on it.