* From a press release…

Governor-Elect Bruce Rauner today announced a first wave of his administration team that will aid his agenda to bring back the state and serve the people of Illinois in the Governor’s Office.

Meet the Team:

Mike Zolnierowicz, Chief of Staff

Mike Zolnierowicz currently serves as director of the Bruce Rauner Transition Committee. He previously worked as deputy campaign manager for Citizens for Rauner, Inc., overseeing more than 500 paid employees and more than 10,000 volunteers. Prior to joining the Rauner campaign, Mike served as Deputy Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Mark Kirk. As Deputy Chief of Staff, Mike managed the Senator’s Illinois operations, overseeing the Senator’s work with key stakeholders, including community leaders, the Congressional delegation, the state legislature and Constitutional officers. Mike graduated from Downers Grove North High School and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude from Hope College.

Tim Nuding, Director of Governor’s Office of Management and Budget

Tim Nuding has spent 25 years working in state government for the Illinois Senate Republican Staff. The first 16 years of his career were spent focusing on state fiscal issues through the Senate Appropriations Committee both as a budget analyst and as the Director of the Senate Appropriations Staff. Most recently he has served as Chief of Staff to Illinois Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno. Tim’s experience working in the legislature has given him a unique perspective and understanding of the budget problems facing Illinois. He is widely respected in the State Capitol and has established a solid network of relationships with executive agency staff, stakeholders and key legislators and legislative staff from both political parties. Tim graduated from Illinois State University in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in Finance. He and his family reside in Rochester, Illinois.

Richard Goldberg, Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative Affairs

Richard Goldberg currently serves as a senior adviser to the Bruce Rauner Transition Committee. He previously served as a senior adviser for communications for Citizens for Rauner, Inc. Prior to joining the Rauner campaign, Goldberg served as Deputy Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Mark Kirk, advising all areas of policy and communications. Goldberg was the lead Senate Republican negotiator for three rounds of economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the “Menendez-Kirk Amendment” imposing sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran. Prior to the Senate, Goldberg served as a senior appropriations associate for then-Congressman Kirk before leaving to serve as Deputy Campaign Manager on Senator Kirk’s 2010 campaign. Goldberg has served as a Navy Reserve intelligence officer since 2006 and deployed to Afghanistan in 2011. Raised in Skokie, Goldberg graduated from the Ida Crown Jewish Academy before earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University.

Mike Schrimpf, Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications

Mike Schrimpf currently serves as Communications Director for the Transition Committee. Prior to joining the transition, Mike worked as Communications Director for Citizens for Rauner, Inc. He earlier spent nearly five years as Communications Director for the Republican Governors Association. Mike is originally from Cincinnati and graduated from Tufts University.

Aaron Winters, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy

Aaron Winters currently is the Deputy Transition Director for the Bruce Rauner Transition Committee. He previously served as the Policy Director for Citizens for Rauner, Inc. Prior to joining the Rauner campaign, he was a senior adviser to U.S. Senator Mark Kirk and served in a variety of communications and legislative roles in Illinois and Washington, DC, including Projects Director, where he oversaw all infrastructure policy and Illinois economic development initiatives. Prior to his government service, Winters was a Senior Account Executive at Hill & Knowlton, where he was the spokesman for the Upgrade 74 project, the complete reconstruction of I-74 through downtown Peoria. Winters graduated from Pontiac Township High School and Northwestern University.

Kelley Folino, Deputy Chief of Staff for Outreach

Kelley Folino got her start in government in Michigan while working for the legislative office of the Department of Management and Budget. She worked in the Michigan House of Representatives and the Illinois State Senate. She subsequently worked for Congressman Mark Kirk and served as the District Chief of Staff for Congressman Bob Dold. Most recently, Kelley served as a Senior Adviser on Citizens for Rauner, Inc. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Michigan State University.

David Wu, Director of Government Transformation

David Wu served as a senior policy adviser for Citizens for Rauner, Inc. He was a policy director for former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, the Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, and numerous candidates at the local, state and federal levels. He has worked to develop policy options in a wide range of areas. In addition to his public policy work, he has worked in international finance, and traditional and digital media. Raised in San Francisco, he has lived and worked in Hong Kong, Florida, Indiana and Singapore. David earned a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, a master’s degree in economics from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Jason Barclay, General Counsel

Jason Barclay is currently a partner at the law firm Barnes & Thornburg where he focuses on some of the firm’s most challenging litigation cases and is widely regarded as one of Indiana’s top trial attorneys. Prior to joining the firm, Jason served as legal counsel in the office of Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. In state government, Jason had a particularly sharp focus on public ethics, helping guide one of the nation’s most comprehensive and highly regarded integrity and compliance programs. He also played a key role in executing the legal strategies necessary to implement Governor Daniels’ agenda. Jason earned his bachelor’s degree from Duke University and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Kathy Lydon, DC Director

Kathy Lydon previously served as former U.S. Representative Judy Biggert’s Chief of Staff in D.C., building strong relationships with the Illinois congressional delegation. Kathy also worked for the late U.S. Senator Chuck Percy. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Jim Clark, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs

Prior to joining the administration, Jim Clark served as Chief of Staff to Cook County Commissioner Tim Schneider at the Cook County Board of Commissioners and Special Assistant to Illinois State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka. Jim is a graduate of Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.

Edward Murphy, Research Director

Edward Murphy currently serves as Research Director for the Bruce Rauner Transition Committee. He previously served as Research Director for Citizens for Rauner, Inc. Prior to joining the Rauner campaign, Murphy served in a number of senior research roles, including Deputy Research Director at the Republican National Committee, Research Director for U.S. Senator Scott Brown’s 2012 re-election campaign, Research Director for U.S. Senator Mark Kirk’s Senate office and 2010 campaign, and Research Director for the Illinois Republican Party. An Illinois native, Murphy attended the University of Notre Dame, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

Sarah Clamp, Director of Special Projects

Sarah Clamp worked as an adviser for the Rauner Transition Committee. She served as political director for Citizens for Rauner, Inc. Sarah is also an alumnus of the political departments for both the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee in Washington D.C. She is a graduate of Cornell University.

Holly Griff, Executive Assistant to the Governor

Holly Griff is Governor-Elect Rauner’s longtime executive assistant. Throughout the campaign and transition, Holly performed a myriad of duties and responsibilities for the Governor-Elect and the First Lady-designate. She also managed the calendars of both the Governor-Elect and the Lt. Governor-Elect. Holly is a native of Illinois.

Jared Melamed Dubnow, Special Assistant to the Governor

Jared Melamed Dubnow currently serves as special assistant to Governor-Elect Bruce Rauner. Previously, he was a Deputy Political Director for Citizens for Rauner, Inc. In that position he traveled to all campaign events and helped oversee daily operations for the candidate. Prior to joining the Rauner campaign, Jared served as Deputy Field Office Manager for the Dold for Congress campaign. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Emory University with degrees in economics and international studies.

Communications Team:

Lance Trover, Communications Director

Lance Trover served as Senior Communications Adviser for Citizens for Rauner, Inc. A former communications director for U.S. Senator Mark Kirk, he supervised media relations with local and national press during the Highland Park Republican’s successful return to Congress following a debilitating stroke. In 2012, Lance served as Deputy Communications Director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. He also directed communications for Kirk for Senate, and the Illinois Republican Party. Raised in the deep southern Illinois town of Vienna, where his family still resides, Lance is a graduate of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, where he earned both a bachelor’s and law degree.

Catherine Kelly, Press Secretary

Catherine Kelly was most recently a producer at ABC 7 Chicago, where she produced daily newscasts for the number-one station in the nation’s third-largest media market. Cate coordinated morning and afternoon newscasts, vetting stories on the local, state and international level. She also edited video and created graphics to accompany stories, while assisting reporters in the field. Prior to moving to Chicago, she worked in California’s state capital at KCRA-TV, also as a news producer. During her time there, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for her work during the 2012 Japanese earthquake and tsunami and its impact on Northern California. She also has experience as a producer, reporter and web editor from the NBC affiliate in Columbia, Mo. Cate graduated from the University of Missouri and earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism, with an emphasis in Radio/Television.

Lyndsey Walters, Deputy Press Secretary

Lyndsey Walters currently serves as Press Secretary for the Bruce Rauner Transition Committee. She previously served as the Press Secretary for Citizens for Rauner, Inc. Prior to the Rauner campaign, Lyndsey was a consultant at The Glover Park Group, a leading Washington D.C. strategic communications firm. Lyndsey began her career as a press lead for Governor Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign, working with the national traveling press corps and local press affiliates. A native of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, Lyndsey received a bachelor’s degree from Drexel University with a dual major in business and communications.

Allie Bovis, Deputy Press Secretary

Allie Bovis formerly served as the Legislative Correspondent in Washington, D.C. for Congresswoman Susan W. Brooks of Indiana. Prior to working on Capitol Hill, she served as Press Assistant in the administration of former Indiana Governor Mitchell E. Daniels. She is a native of Indianapolis, Ind. and graduate of Indiana University.

Jacquelyn Reineke, Press Assistant

Jacquelyn Reineke previously worked as the Deputy Communications Director for the Ohio Republican Party, producing graphics and media for the 2014 gubernatorial election. Jacquelyn grew up in Tiffin, Ohio. She received a bachelor’s degree in political science with minors in economics and international relations from Xavier University in Cincinnati.

Policy Team:

Joe Beyer, Efficiency and Metrics

Joe Beyer’s prior experience includes roles in finance and consulting, most recently at William Blair and Co. in Chicago, where he was a member of the healthcare investment banking group. Prior to that, he spent three years at Aon Hewitt (formerly Hewitt Associates) as an actuarial associate, providing pension consulting services to companies with defined-benefit plans. He also previously worked at Deutsche Bank in New York and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Joe is a native of Springfield. He holds a B.S. in Actuarial Science, summa cum laude, from the University of Illinois; a J.D. from the Harvard Law School and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Samantha Gaddy, Policy Adviser for Public Safety

Samantha Gaddy was formerly the Senior Policy Adviser for the Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council (SPAC), where she advised policy-makers on the system-wide fiscal impact of sentencing policies and procedures. Prior to SPAC, Samantha worked as a member of the Illinois Attorney General’s legislative team, advocating for the Attorney General’s legislative agenda in the areas of public safety, the rights of crime victims and witnesses, consumer protection, public utilities and predatory lending reform. Samantha previously worked for the Illinois Innocence Project, helping to investigate post-conviction claims of actual innocence. Samantha currently serves on the Board of Directors for Fans 4 L.I.F.E, Inc., a school-based mentoring program for at-risk children and is a member of Alpha Phi Sigma, a national criminal justice honor society. Samantha is a native of Alton.

Jennifer Hammer, Special Counsel to the Governor and Policy Adviser for Healthcare and Human Services

Jennifer Walsh Hammer has previous experience in healthcare and human services policy as the Executive Director of the Healthcare Council for the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. She is also an attorney and spent a significant time in private practice at Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes. She is a second term elected Governor on the Illinois State Bar Association Board of Governors. She is appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to the Board of Character and Fitness. Jennifer is a Past President of the Central Illinois Women’s Bar Association and the Junior League of Springfield. She is the Secretary of the Sangamon County Bar Association and Vice President of the Lincoln Library Board of Trustees. Jennifer has been the recipient of the Springfield Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 Award and the Today’s Chicago Woman “Women to Watch” Award.

Michael Mahoney, Policy Adviser for Revenue and Pensions

Michael Mahoney previously worked for the Illinois House Republicans as the Deputy Research Director focusing on personnel, pension and fiscal issues. A native of Joliet, Michael attended Joliet Catholic Academy and received his bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Illinois.

Sean McCarthy, Policy Adviser for Economic Development

Sean McCarthy was the Deputy Chief of Staff for Congressman Randy Hultgren and a Senior Community Relations Director at Nicor Gas. Prior to joining the utility, Sean worked at Lake County Partners and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs where he gained economic development experience at the county and state level. Sean earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Stonehill College in North Easton, Mass. and received his M.B.A. at Dominican University in River Forest, Ill.

Alec Messina, Policy Adviser for Environment and Energy

Alec Messina is the Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Regulatory Group (“IERG”), a non-profit trade association. Prior to returning to IERG in October of 2010, where he initially served as its General Counsel from 2001-2005, Messina served as the Chief Legal Counsel for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, a position he took in August 2005. Messina holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Illinois and a law degree for Juris Doctorate from Southern Illinois University School of Law.

Brian Oszakiewski, Policy Adviser for Infrastructure

Brian Oszakiewski served eight years advising Congressman Dan Lipinski on all rail, highway, aviation, freight, waterways, public transportation and other issues before the U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. He was Representative Lipinski’s Legislative Director, managing the congressman’s legislative staff to formulate and implement his agenda. Brian most recently worked for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, an organization that represents aircraft, engine, avionics and other aviation-related manufacturers and service providers. A native of Chicagoland, Brian holds a bachelor’s degree from Creighton University and a master’s degree from The Johns Hopkins University.

Randy Pollard, Downstate Director

Randy Pollard served as the Downstate Director for U.S. Senator Mark Kirk. Randy was employed at the Illinois Department of Corrections for 25 years, and served as supervisor for Pepsi Co. Randy and his wife Cheryl reside in Vandalia, IL.

Outreach Team:

Janice Collier, Director of Diversity and Recruitment

Janice Glenn Collier currently serves as Director of Programs for Leadership Greater Chicago, a non-profit civic leadership organization that creates lifelong partnerships and develops community awareness among leaders in the Chicago metropolitan area. In this role, she works closely with the members in the Leadership Fellows Association within LGC, which consists of graduates from the Fellows Program. She is responsible for executing the development of programs and oversees outreach with members and potential members. Prior to joining LGC in 1986, she began her career in Public and Government Affairs with Amoco Corporation.

Marcos Peterson, Director of Latino Affairs

Marcos Peterson, a Lake County native, has a mix of both private and public sector experience. He served at the White House as an advance representative and has worked on the national level for a presidential campaign. He has also run a small Latino social services business. Most recently, Marcos served as the Director of Latino Outreach for Citizens for Rauner, Inc.

Ashley Kalus, Coalitions Coordinator

Ashley Kalus most recently served as Coalitions Coordinator for Citizens for Rauner, Inc. Before joining Rauner, Ashley spent 5 years directing operations and strategy for a group of medical businesses, as well as leading an early stage medical device company. Prior to that, Ashley worked as a consultant at Accenture. She holds graduate degrees from the London School of Economics and Columbia University in public administration with a focus on economic and security policy.

Dennis Jung, Outreach Coordinator

Dennis Jung previously served as the Asian American Outreach Coordinator on Citizens for Rauner, Inc. He was born and raised in Illinois. Dennis graduated with honors from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a degree in political science and history.

Legal Team:

Joe Hartzler, Special Counsel

Joe Hartzler has been a federal prosecutor in Springfield for the last 30 years. Joe is best known for being picked by former Attorney General Janet Reno out of thousands of federal prosecutors across the country to be the lead prosecutor in the Oklahoma City bombing prosecution of Timothy McVeigh. He has since established himself as one of the best legal minds in the Department of Justice, handling the most difficult appeals. Joe will lead efforts to clean up state government of wrongdoers, ethics violators, and serve as internal lead at collective bargaining sessions.

Mitch Holzrichter, Deputy Counsel

Mitch Holzrichter is a senior associate at Mayer Brown. Mitch specialized in public private partnerships at his law firm working on major P3 transportation projects across the country, the privatization of the first airport in the country, and the long term lease at the Midway airport. He will lead regulatory reform review. Mitch earned a bachelor’s degree Northwestern University and a law degree from the University of Michigan.

Dennis Murashko, Deputy Counsel

Dennis Murashko is a senior associate at Jones Day. Dennis clerked on the 10th and DC Circuits Courts. Dennis is a native of Russia and also an actuary by background. Dennis will lead legal review of pension reform, procurement and personnel reform efforts. Dennis earned a bachelor’s degree from Maryville University and a law degree from Northwestern University.

Emily Bastedo, Associate Counsel

Emily Bastedo was an associate at Chapman & Culter before taking on the important job of being a mom. Emily is a member of the Elmhurst School Board. She is an expert in public finance matters and will help oversee the operations of the various finance agencies, including the Illinois Finance Authority and Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. Emily earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a law degree from DePaul University.

Donovan Borvan, Associate Counsel

Donovan Borvan is an associate at Sidley Austin. Donovan is a commercial litigator and will oversee the state’s litigation and consent decrees at various agencies, including Healthcare and Family Services, Aging, and Department of Corrections. Donovan earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee and a law degree from the University of Chicago.

Chasity Boyce, Associate Counsel

Chasity Boyce is an associate at O’Hagan, where she is a commercial litigator. Chasity is President of the Black Women Lawyers Association, with an interest in children’s issues, including juvenile justice and education. Chasity will lead the clemency review process. Chasity earned a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a law degree from Howard University.

Emily Gibellina, Associate Counsel

Emily Gibellina is Senior Counsel to Jim Durkin and the House Republicans. Emily is an expert on legislative issues, especially insurance, worker’s comp and civil justice areas. She will handle bill review and appointment processes. Emily earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and a law degree from Northwestern University.

Georgia Man, Associate Counsel:

Georgia Man is an associate at Kirkland & Ellis. Georgia is in the corporate group and handles complex M&A transactions. She will be an ethics and FOIA officer. Georgia earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee and a law degree from the University of Virginia.

Joseph Wright, Assistant Counsel

Joseph Wright is a recent law school grad. Joseph has been serving as legal counsel to the City of Des Plaines and will take the lead on local government issues. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and a law degree from Chicago-Kent University.

Operations Team:

Brittany Ladd, Director of Operations

Brittany Ladd comes from a diverse background in both the private and public sector. She has extensive experience in public and private sector consulting and has provided management consulting services to US Government organizations and Fortune 50 companies. As an U.S. Air Force brat, she grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona but moved to Illinois following high school to enroll at Northwestern University. She has worked in Operations for two national presidential campaigns, most recently serving as Director of Advance to Ann Romney during the 2012 presidential election.

Grant Hammer, Director of Constituent Affairs

Grant Hammer has a diverse background grounded in public affairs and state government. He has worked in a number of public and private endeavors over the past decade, from serving under state legislators and constitutional offices to working on political campaigns, in state government and for state associations. Most recently, Grant served as Manager of Community Affairs & Marketing in the State Treasurer’s Office. Grant also serves in a number of leadership positions within his community. He is an unpaid, elected official tasked with promoting opportunities for recreation and conservation within his hometown’s public park system, a unit of local government approximately 60 square miles in size and having an annual operating budget of id=”mce_marker”7 million. Grant also actively contributes to the not-for-profit Springfield Youth Hockey Association, serving on the Executive Board as well as coaching youth hockey. Grant is a Springfield native, and graduate of Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Jackie Lindsay, Director of Scheduling

Jackie Lindsay, a Christian County native, currently resides with her family in Menard County. Jackie has been Legislative Director for Raucci & Sullivan Strategies since 2007. She has over 20 years of state government experience, the last 15 years of service was with the Illinois Senate Republicans.

Laine Evans, Director of Advance

Evans served as the Director of Advance for Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti for Citizens for Rauner, Inc. Before joining Rauner, Laine most recently hailed from Washington, D.C. where she worked in various positions ranging from Senior Associate at Burson-Marstellar to the Military Legislative Aid for Congressman Phil Roe (R-TN). In 2012, she also served as Lead Press Advance on Mitt Romney’s 2012 Presidential campaign. A Tennessee native who now calls Illinois home, Laine received a bachelor’s degree in Government from Wofford College. She received her master’s degree in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from Georgetown University.

Office of the Lieutenant Governor:

Brian Colgan, Chief of Staff

Over the last ten years, Brian has served as a Senior Adviser to several Illinois officials including US Congresswoman Judy Biggert and U.S. Senator Mark Kirk. Brian has worked in policy, politics, and community affairs. Brian resides in Naperville with his wife, Sarah, and 15-month-old son. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), where he studied international, resource, and consumer economics.