Today, Governor-elect JB Pritzker announced the formation and members of the Healthy Children and Families Committee of the transition team at Children’s Home and Aid, the first social service agency JB visited while considering his run for governor.
The committee is the third of several working groups of the transition made up of subject-matter experts who will advise and guide the incoming Pritzker-Stratton administration. The Healthy Children and Families Committee will be chaired by state Sen. Heather Steans, Howard Brown Health President and CEO David Munar, and Children’s Home and Aid President and CEO Nancy Ronquillo and consist of 36 members.
“Our transition’s Healthy Children and Families Committee will focus on how we should rebuild social services, identify ways we can help children and families build better lives, and expand health care in this state,” said Governor-elect JB Pritzker. “Over the last few years, state funding for community organizations was cut and families were no longer receiving the services they needed to thrive, but we’re going to reverse course. As governor, I’ll be their partner, and together, we’ll confront challenges head on so families and children can thrive.”
HEALTHY CHILDREN AND FAMILIES COMMITTEE MEMBERS
State Senator Heather Steans co-chairs the transition’s Healthy Children and Families Committee and has represented the 7th district in the Senate since 2008. Steans chairs the Appropriations I Committee and the Special Committee on Oversight of Medicaid Managed Care, vice chairs the Appropriations II Committee and serves on the Executive, Environment and Conservation, Government Reform and Human Services committees. She has passed legislation to bring marriage equality to Illinois, reform the state’s Medicaid program, enact significant nursing home reform and improve the environment by reducing mercury waste, creating commercial composting capabilities and banning microbeads. She also passed the Equal Rights Amendment in 2018, making Illinois the 37th state to ratify it and secured the passage of legislation that ensures Illinois remains a state where women can safely and legally exercise their right to choose.
David Munar co-chairs the transition’s Healthy Children and Families Committee and has served as president and CEO of Howard Brown Health since 2014. Munar has focused on ensuring the delivery of excellent patient services, strengthening finances and operations, and positioning the Midwest’s largest LGBTQ organization for long-term sustainability and growth. Prior to Howard Brown, Munar honed his career at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago where he held several positions, including president and CEO. He serves on the boards of the Cook County Health and Hospital System, the Illinois Primary Health Care Association, AllianceChicago, AIDS United, and the Black AIDS Institute. In 2007, he helped launch a national coalition that led to the National HIV/AIDS Strategy unveiled by President Obama in July 2010.
Nancy Ronquillo co-chairs the transition’s Healthy Children and Families Committee and has served as president and CEO of Children’s Home & Aid since 2001. Ronquillo has been a leader in the human services field for over four decades. She has served as the founding chair of Children’s Home Society of America and Illinois Partners for Human Service, an 800+ member statewide advocacy organization. Ronquillo was named American Business Woman of the Year and received the Woman of Distinction Award. She serves on both national and local boards, including the Children’s Home Society of America and National Veterans Arts Museum (NVAM). Ronquillo serves on the local boards of Chicago Thrive Leadership Council, Chicago Alliance for Collaborative Effort, Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management and Advisory Board and the Chicago Horse Center. She is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago.
Lisa Morrison Butler, Commissioner, Chicago Department of Family and Support Services
Pat Comstock, Executive Director, The Health Care Council of Illinois
Deb Conroy, State Representative, Illinois General Assembly
Esther Corpuz, CEO, Alivio Medical Center
Chris Cox, Executive Director, Hoyleton Youth and Family Services
Ryan Croke, Executive Director, Illinois Centers for Independent Living
Risa Davis, Vice President of Corporate Development, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago
Andrea Durbin, President, Illinois Collaboration on Youth
Theresa Eagleson, Executive Director, University of Illinois, Office of Medicaid Innovation
Sara Feigenholtz, State Representative, Illinois General Assembly
Karen Foley, CEO, Juvenile Protective Association
Andrés Gallegos, Attorney, Robbins, Salomon & Patt Ltd.
Michael Gelder, Adjunct Lecturer of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Danielle Gomez, Supervising Attorney, Office of the Cook County Public Guardian
Nina Harris, CEO, Springfield Urban League
Grace B. Hou, President, Woods Fund Chicago
Tom Hughes, President, Illinois Public Health Association
Mattie Hunter, State Senator, Illinois General Assembly
Mark Ishaug, CEO, Thresholds
Dr. Lorrie Rickman-Jones, Vice President of Strategic Innovation and Behavioral Health, NextLevel Health
Greg Kelley, President, SEIU Healthcare Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Kansas
Dan Kotowski, President and CEO, ChildServ
Camille Lilly, State Representative, Illinois General Assembly
Juan Carlos Linares, Executive Director, LUCHA
Roberta Lynch, Executive Director, AFSCME Council 31
Jamal Malone, CEO, Ada S. McKinley Community Services, Inc.
Larry McCulley, CEO, Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation
Dr. Steven B. Nasatir, President, Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago
José R. Sánchez, President & CEO, Norwegian American Hospital
Doug Schenkelberg, Executive Director, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
Mark A. Stutrud, President and CEO, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois
Dr. Carl White, Apostle, Southland Ministerial Health Network
AJ Wilhelmi, President and CEO, Illinois Health and Hospital Association
- Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 2:15 pm:
It appears that Gov. Rauner’s slash-and-burn tenure has produced the desire for all rational stakeholders to come together to work with the incoming administration. Would be lovely if 20 years from now we can look back on 2019 as the year the state began to address its major problems.
- DeseDemDose - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 2:17 pm:
This is how governing looks when a Governor is not meeting in Palm Springs meeting with the Koch Brothers.
- NIU Grad - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 2:17 pm:
This is a “keep everyone happy list”. Sorry, but I’m doubting that such a large group can come up with anything meaningful in three months.
- Southfarmllama - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 2:29 pm:
He ain’t messing around.
- Honeybear - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 2:34 pm:
NIU grad, I disagree. I think they will do very well. I say that only based on only knowing one name. My Afscme executive director Roberta Lynch. During and after most afscme conferences I chat with Roberta. She has a keen keen intellect, is insightful, but most importantly, action oriented.
I’d take a bullet for her after how she handled Rauner. I often disagreed with her. Sometimes publically on this blog. But as I look back on those I admit she was right every time. But to her credit she never demeaned me or put me in my place. She in fact always encouraged me even still to speak up. She values and encourages those from the front line. That’s how I know this team is going to come up with excellent doable recommendations.
- Chicagonk - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 2:39 pm:
A 36 member committee? Good luck running those meetings.
- Norseman - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 2:41 pm:
=== I’m doubting that such a large group can come up with anything meaningful in three months. ===
They’ll come up with recommendations like every other transition committee. The quality of the recommendations will depend on leadership and staff capabilities. JB’s staff need to steer the group to include his priorities. Beyond that is gravy. If anyone remembers a fantastic policy action resulting from a transition committee, let me know.
- Perrid - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 2:43 pm:
The list needs to be so long because everyone wants a piece of the pie. That’s probably a little too cynical, but not by much.
- Nick Name - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 2:44 pm:
Michael Gelder and Lorrie Rickman-Jones from the Quinn administration. Interesting.
- Honeybear - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 2:44 pm:
Here is a really great article regarding motivating public service entities and employees towards change.
http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/capacity-development/English/Singapore%20Centre/GCPSE_NewPublicPassion_2016.pdf
- Not It - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 2:52 pm:
I’ve never understood what a transition committee does. Do they actual meet? If they do, are those meetings public? Are they subject to FOIA? Isn’t having lobbyists serve on it unethical?
If they exist to make recommendations, then why wasn’t that work done as a part of the campaign platform?
- Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 3:00 pm:
Sure it’s big; they’ll meet once and break into subgroups. These are the stakeholders who know the details anyone would need to hit the ground running come January. This is a very positive step in the transition.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 3:13 pm:
==I’ve never understood what a transition committee does. Do they actual meet?==
Is that a serious question?
==are those meetings public? Are they subject to FOIA? ==
Why would they be public and no. He’s not the Governor yet.
==If they exist to make recommendations, then why wasn’t that work done as a part of the campaign platform?==
Do you not understand the difference between a campaign and actually governing?
- illini - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 3:17 pm:
I just talked with one of those members of this Committee, congratulated him on his appointment and wished him well. Two years ago his relatively small agency was owed over $900,000 on their contracted agreements with our State. Today it is over $1.7 million.
Yet they have submitted contracts, and are operating for 4 programs, and have been able to fund them in house to this point. But the State has not signed off on these programs, or their share of the funding, and the continued viability of these programs is in question.
My friend, was very optimistic that that this downward trend of funding and services could be reversed, but he is realistic to the politics of our state.
We know what has happened to many aspects of our states services to its citizens these past 4 years and expect better. But, as my friend said, this will not be easy or without some pain.
- Arsenal - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 3:23 pm:
==Michael Gelder and Lorrie Rickman-Jones from the Quinn administration. Interesting.==
And, err, Pat Quinn’s last Chief of Staff…
But that all makes sense, those are the last Dems who actually had to run the Executive Branch, and it wasn’t all that long ago.
- striketoo - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 3:26 pm:
The size of this committee suggests that the number one priority in this area is the consolidation of providers to save overhead.
- sisyphus down - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 3:32 pm:
Some names on here one hoped never to see again. Seeing them makes one fear another round of grandiose ineffectual goofiness. One’s optimism clouds, one’s enthusiasm wanes, one’s urge to flee rises. Must keep telling one’s self that it’s just a committee.
- Perrid - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 3:37 pm:
It’s interesting that someone from NextLevel is the only one from an MCO. No one from the other 6, or someone from IAMHP
- Perrid - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 3:58 pm:
Never mind my NextLevel comment. Of course Dr Rickman-Jones, Senate President Emil’s wife, made the list. Her being employed by an MCO is probably just coincidence.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 4:18 pm:
This Ryan Croke?
http://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/columns/2017-05-07/jim-dey-top-ui-springfield-official-caught-illegal-hiring-web.html
- illini - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 4:25 pm:
@sysyphus down - please explain and share your insights.
- Skeptic - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 4:46 pm:
“This Ryan Croke?” I’ll be he is. And IIRC he was part of the Blago admin too.
- Ok - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 5:46 pm:
Nope, Croke was always a Quinner.
- Former State Employee - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 6:31 pm:
Glad to see Ryan Croke included in this list. Michael Gelder is a hack. He was in the Quinn administration and I assume still is.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 7:35 pm:
Gelderland was a serious issue / problem in the Qui. Administration. Don’t trust the guy
- Nitemayor - Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 8:12 pm:
Anybody south of Springfield?
- Mobile Millennial - Friday, Nov 16, 18 @ 6:29 am:
Who represents the taxpayers on this committee?
- Perrid - Friday, Nov 16, 18 @ 7:02 am:
@mobile millennial, I get your snark, but there’s 4 GA members on that list. It’s literally their job to represent taxpayers. They are all from Chicagoland, however.
- Mentalhealthcounts - Friday, Nov 16, 18 @ 9:41 am:
Please allow this group to include a representation for mental health and a subgroup on this very needed issue. I did not see a representative from Nami etc. thank you for this consideration.
- Anon - Friday, Nov 16, 18 @ 1:29 pm:
Awkward. Risa Davis stopped working at United Way more than two months ago.