38 Comments - JS Mill - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 9:04 am: I am not up on spokespeople but for agency director I would nominate Dr. Ezike from IDPH. She has done an outstanding job under the most challenging conditions and in the face of bewildering resistance. - Osborne Smith III - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 9:19 am: Is there a more effective, trusted, and intelligent spokesperson in Illinois government than John Patterson? For agency director, any vote other than Dr. Ezike, given everything IDPH has had to handle over the past two years, would seem ludicrous to me. - Dirty Red - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 9:20 am: Imagine everything that goes into the days of Melaney Arnold and Dr. Ngozi Ezike. They are champions of public service. That’s it. That’s the nomination. - MG85 - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 9:21 am: Best Spokesperson - Liz Mitchell Like a lot of new folks to government this year, she had to spearhead many “other duties as assigned” during a return to normal-ish while also implementing one-of-a-kind protocols for COVID. She was the senate’s go to person for media credentials this year and all things COVID testing related (I know I wouldn’t have known where to get tested each week during session without her help.) On top of all that, she was someone I could rely on for important topics facing the senate who the President clearly relied on when it mattered. Oh and Patterson is her boss. That alone deserves a prize. State Agency Director IDES Director Kristin Richards Few agencies saw as much scrutiny over 2021 as IDES and she, thru her usual nose to the ground hard work, has quelled large scale criticisms of the agency’s handling of the unemployment claim backlog. No, the work isn’t done, but this is someone who took the job knowing the agency was already under intense scrutiny and said “yea I’ll take the gig.” Anyone willing to jump right in the fire and actually not get burnt to a crisp has my respect and deserves recognition for taking it on. - Cheryl44 - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 9:23 am: Dr. Ngozi Ezike, and as spkespeople I nominate her team of ASL interpreters. - Rich Miller - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 9:25 am: Some of y’all are ignoring the requirement for an explanation. - Anonymous - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 9:25 am: Dr. Ezike has had just an incredible two years. Daily briefings and stress on how best to handle the pandemic. I nominate her for both best Director and best Spokesperson. Those daily briefings and the compassion and even briefing in Spanish. Incredible! As a secondary, Director Eagleson at HFS deserves recognition. They’ve changed at HFS since the day she walked back in the door. Tons of improvements for people and providers. - PeterParker - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 9:38 am: Seconding the nomination for Liz Mitchell. She may not have been the traditional “spokesperson” giving quotes to the press too much, but she had to handle a ton of the Senate’s COVID protocols, from testing to remote voting to scheduling. The fact that all of that ran pretty smoothly is a testament to her ability to explain it all to very disparate audiences (media, lobbyists, executive staffers, etc.) with grace and warmth. For Agency head, going with Alicia Tate-Nadeau. IEMA has had to do a ton of work on COVID and vaccinations, and while IDPH has been more the public face of the response…well, that’s how IEMA would prefer it, and a testament to the fact that they’ve screwed up very little. As a bonus, I thought the response to the tornadoes last week was textbook how state government is supposed to do it. - Anonymous - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 9:39 am: State Agency Director HFS Director Theresa Eagleson. Under the Directors leadership, HFS has worked tirelessly to expand coverage and services for Medicaid recipients including making Illinois the first state in the nation to extend post partum coverage from 2 to 12 Months; expanding LGBTQ services; and ensuring that over 3 million people were able to receive services during the pandemic especially through the expansion of telehealth which has transformed healthcare delivery in Illinois. - Caedus - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 9:41 am: Best Spokesperson - Melaney Arnold, IDPH. She handles the countless requests for information with class and professionalism. Anyone else in her role would be hard pressed to keep up with the constant dissemination of updated information. Best State Agency Director - Mario Treto, Jr., IDFPR. I realize the overwhelming favorite will be Dr. Ezike and rightfully so. That said, Secretary Treto stepped into the top job at the agency responsible for licensing doctors, nurses, and many other healthcare professionals during the pandemic. He has made communicating with all licensed professionals about updates regarding their licensing processes a top priority and has also led the agency in navigating the next round of adult use cannabis dispensary licenses. There have been hiccups along the way, but Secretary Treto has acted to right them as soon as possible. - Anonymous - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 9:42 am: HFS Director Eagleson for her work on hospital transformation collaboratives which will increase healthcare access in the safety net areas of our great State. - Ok - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 9:48 am: It is clear to me that IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike (while a winner last year) must own this award until we get to the full endemic phase or she leaves state government. Think about it: A year ago, when she won, we all were thinking that the coming availability of the vaccines meant that we were in the waning days. That we could just take another deep breath, and push through until the end. Instead, every time we come up for air, we get pushed down again by those who believe it is their right to drown, and thus pull us all down with them. And then you have Melaney Arnold, who probably didn’t think that she would have to deal with the mainstreaming of crazy in her subject area. - Anon - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 9:53 am: Hard not to go with Dr. Ezike for all the reasons listed above, but I’ll second Secretary Treto for the reasons Caedus listed but also all the work being done on the financial side with Directors Menchaca and Chasse. IDFPR has quietly worked on some big things there with the community reinvestment act, 36% cap, crypto, etc. - Mr K - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 10:42 am: Delrice Adams, ICJIA. Navigated (and continues to navigate) the successful — and critical — R3 project. - andjusticeforall - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 11:00 am: Best Agency Director - Ngozi Ezike. Given the non-stop craziness that has been directed toward her by Anti-Vaxxer and Trumpers, she has continued to be the most reliable source of scientifically accurate and medically reliable information and at the same time presenting that information in a way that humanized the cruel nature of this virus. Spokesperson. John Patterson - Senate Dems. Patterson is the consummate professional who brings a stable approach to a fairly unstable caucus. - Leslie K - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 11:13 am: I wouldn’t have thought of these on my own, but: Spokesperson: The ASL interpreters at IDPH (good suggestion, Cheryl44). Working a heavy schedule and reliably providing a critical service while conveying vital information. Agency Head: Alicia Tate-Nadeau at IEMA, for the reasons expressed by PeterParker. The coordination IEMA provides is critical, and tends to only be in the public eye if they mess up. By seamlessly operating in the background they have enabled their partner agencies to be even more effective than they could be alone. Although I wouldn’t argue about Dr. Ezike again this year. She just continues to work a steady, calm path as the pandemic continues. - Damien Herrera - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 11:31 am: There is a powerhouse at IDFPR under Secretary Treto’s leadership with new energy. They’re unafraid to make significant changes in that agency with old broken systems. A friend of mine recently received his real estate license in three days during a pandemic. It took MONTHS in previous administrations. Talk about improvements. And to echo Caedus, throughout the pandemic they’ve made sure Illinois has had pathways to license medical professionals if the need arose. For these reasons I nominate Secretary Treto for Agency Head. - New Day - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 11:56 am: Spokesperson: Patterson. Smart. Capable. Knows when to comment and when to push back. Does a great job in herding an extremely diverse caucus on comms. Director: Eagleson. Hands down. What makes a great director? Someone that avoids trouble while making big change. From the health care transformation program, to attempts at rate reform to just managing massive spending on a really complex set of issues, she and her team just get it done without the kind of high profile missteps we see elsewhere. - Fan Fav - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 12:00 pm: Eleni — Eleni is a steady force that balances out a caucus with a variety of opinions. She somehow finds a way to communicate in a thoughtful and effective manner without ruffling too many feathers within her caucus. She is witty, efficient and also finds time to lead their communications department. Agency Director — Whoever is in charge of IEMA; they did a good job handing the recent response to the tragic storms. - Bronzeville Dweller - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 12:18 pm: Agency Director—Director Ezike. Illinois has continued to fare very well in the pandemic compared to our neighboring Midwestern states this past year. This past year she oversaw the vaccine rollout, prioritizing communities hardest hit, and has never stopped leading with grace, empathy, and compassion. Honorable mention— Director Eagleson. HFS is truly a different agency—for the better. Spokesperson—Melaney Arnold, hands down. She has articulated nuanced responses to the media in clear, even ways and has held steadfast in the craziest of storms. - Dan Hynes - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 1:39 pm: Agency Director — Alexis Sturm, GOMB While many factors came into play leading to the State’s recent bond rating upgrades, I would give most of the credit to GOMB and specifically to Alexis. She designed 3 credible, achievable and responsible budgets on behalf of the Governor. She was also instrumental in navigating those budgets through the GA and getting fantastic end results. Again, while there were some fortuitous factors assisting us, there were also a million changing variables that Alexis had to integrate into the process — i.e fair tax or no fair tax; incorporating brand new revenue streams like cannabis, on-line sales tax, MCO assessments etc; estimating revenues (with DOR) during a once in a century pandemic; how to use CARES/ARPA money strategically and responsibly; and many more. Talk about lots of moving parts. Just as impressive as what Alexis accomplished, is how she accomplished it. I’ve never known anyone who garners more respect from legislators and fiscal experts than Alexis. During all the countless special legislative hearings on budget, when Alexis said something, everyone took it as gospel. Republicans and Democrats trust her as an honest broker and respect her vast knowledge of finances and programs of state government. The same goes for the rating agencies. When Alexis says something, it carries tremendous weight. Alexis has been in and out of GOMB for decades — serving both Dem and Rep Governors. She is an encyclopedia of budgetary information and history. She is humble and understated but, in my view, an even greater legend than our dear friend Steve Schnorf. Spokesperson: Jordan Abudayyeh — Tough but really funny. (she won it last year so maybe ineligible). - Seconded - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 2:05 pm: I second the former deputy governor’s remarks. Effective management of the budget is how Illinois is finally on the path to fiscal stability. On top of that, Alexis is always positive and ready to dig in and find a solution. She understands that the challenges we face will take discipline and many years to fix. I hope the state has Alexis around for many more to help guide us through. Jordan is a force and beyond that you can count on her to solve just about any problem, not even just a communications one. She works around the clock, always has a cynical joke ready and truly understands the inner workings of everything she deals with on a daily basis. JB is lucky to have her in his corner because I would not want her on the opposite team. - brian cloch - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 2:38 pm: I want to nominate Director Eagleson. she has done an amazing job of creating a great team that has accomplished so much in a short period of time during a pandemic. - GOB Bluth - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 2:45 pm: I agree with Dan that Alexis deserves the Agency Director Golden Horseshoe. The state is so fortunate to have her as the budget director - she and the entire administration/GOMB have made great strides with the state’s budget and finances. Who would’ve thought we’d be in the position we are today when COVID first hit the state economy last March? - GOB Bluth - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 2:49 pm: Part 2 - Best Spokesperson has to be Eleni Demertzis. For as challenging as it can be as a caucus to maintain credibility when you have people like the Eastern Bloc in your tent, she has always been fair in her criticism. And who doesn’t like the frequent Wally’s updates? - Sarah L - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 2:59 pm: I vote Eleni Demertzis for best spokesperson. She’s smart, professional and fair. Throughout the pandemic when we were all trying to figure out Zooms, she was managing FB Lives with her caucus and, at times, even with a child on her lap. She makes the job look easy. - Sarah L - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 3:03 pm: Part 2- Dr. Ezike for best State Agency Director. This women is a real life super hero. During the pandemic when people were dying at every turn, she bravely stood up and reported on the state of our state, for better or worse, even fighting back tears at times. No better choice than her. - Anonymiss - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 3:05 pm: Agency Director - There are many good leaders in this category (Mario Treto and Brendan Kelly come to mind), but Dr. Ezike is in a class of her own. She has navigated unprecedented challenges with intelligence, patience, and grace often times putting her own safety and wellness on the line for the greater good. Spokesperson - Anders Lindall of AFSCME, though I think “spokesperson” doesn’t adequately capture the caliber of work he does and commitment he has to it. Many spox are pass throughs for a principal and not intimately familiar or involved in the work. Anders knows the history, details, and most importantly, the people impacted by every contract, every struggle, every policy. He’s an excellent writer, has strong and smart instincts, and served his members and union for more than a decade often with little recognition. And he’s a great guy to play or talk about music with, too! - Anonymiss - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 3:23 pm: Hit send too soon. One more thing about our friend Anders. 2021 has been a bear to navigate for AFSCME from both an internal and external standpoint. If we’re being honest though, what year in recent history hasn’t been? (See: Quinn on pensions, Rauner on well, labor). So he wins the 2021 sprint and the endurance contest in my book! - Soccermom - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 3:53 pm: Am I the only person who thinks John Patterson is using various aliases to nominate himself? Not cool, John. Not cool at all. - Soccermom - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 3:54 pm: Yes. Yes I was joking. (Please consider this a vote for “John Patterson.” If that is his real name. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 4:03 pm: I’ve been known to defer to folks far smarter than I, luckily that pool is a very large pool so I can learn. Following the Hon. Dan Hynes, I nominate Alexis Sturm at GOMB What Mr. Hynes did in his own nomination, if you stop and figure the fiscal challenges this year specifically brought, and how that agency handled its business, its the type of lunch pail, hard hat governing work that navy times a person like me takes for granted. I nominate Alexis Sturm, thank you for your hard work, it’s being noticed. - Oswego Willy - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 4:08 pm: Best Spokesperson Eleni Demertzis has continued to be impressive in a role where one part of the caucus wants to lead the others in the caucus into messaging nightmares, and Eleni navigates this fracture by making a great deal of the messaging seemless for her boss to a much smarter, rational message that others can’t push towards the ridiculous. John Patterson is still a big favorite of mine, there’s no question, but for the year that was, Eleni Demertzis is my nomination, with a nod towards Patterson in an honorable mention. - NotSoccermom - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 4:17 pm: I too vote for John “Spartacus” Patterson - Michelle Flaherty - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 4:21 pm: Agency director: Dr. Ezike. Face it, she set a new standard. If I hear her speaking Spanish on the TV, I stop whatever I’m doing and pay attention (even though I don’t speak Spanish). Spokesperson: Eleni Demertzis. Talented, witty, but above all that she scares me to death, which is a long lost quality among spokespeople. - Esquire - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 4:24 pm: Best Agency Director: Terry Prince Why: Because he’s not Linda Chapa LaVia - Candy Dogood - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 4:25 pm: Best Spokesperson: Jordan Abudayyeh. I think she proved why today she is worthy today. She is excellent at staying on message, concise, and keeping a sense of professionalism while driving well honed points home with fantastic (when appropriate) witticism. In an era where tweets can be more important than press releases, I would want her handling my twitter feed. Best State Agency Director: Director Jerry Costello Three years ago if you had told me I would be making this nomination I would have found it hard to believe. In a State where a cynic would expect a former state legislator to become an agency director to simply increase the value of their annual pension payout right before retirement, Director Costello is an engaged, active, and dedicated leader of the Department of Agriculture. He seems to have enthusiastically taken on his new role within the State government and made the agency’s mission his own and I think the People of Illinois benefit from his leadership. Director Costello is good at his job and excited to do his job well even when no one is watching and his agency isn’t grabbing headlines. He is a refreshing change of pace in a state where so many agency directors have been and sometimes still are empty suits. - Who else - Friday, Dec 17, 21 @ 4:28 pm: For agency director, this is a tie between Dr. Ezike and Alexis Sturm. These women have steered Illinois through some of our most challenging years. 2021 was a year we thought would be better than the year before. It was not the bounce-back year we all hoped for, and despite the ongoing pandemic awfulness they’ve kept things on track and maintained a positive attitude throughout it. You can’t identify the public health measures necessary to get us out of Covid without Dr. Ezike, and you can’t pay for it without Alexis Sturm there navigating the complete chaos of federal funding. For spokesperson, I nominate Jordan Abudayyeh. She’s Pritzker’s spokesperson but in 2021 she also became a spokesperson for vaccines; vaccines desperately needed a spokesperson this year. Folks I hoped would jump at the chance to move out of this pandemic became spokespeople against vaccines, so a strong pro-vax voice was necessary. She’s unapologetic despite getting a lot of online hate as punishment for being correct and coherent. That hate is amplified for Ms. Abudayyeh because she is a woman of color who has to fend off the double whammy of anti-vax racist social media warriors. 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