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Question of the day: Golden Horseshoe Awards

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Illinois

* The 2016 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best House Secretary/Admin. Assistant goes to JoAnn Sullivan in Speaker Madigan’s office. She’s retiring soon and is one of the most organized, yet sweetest people you’ll ever meet. I do not know how she will be replaced. She is, as one commenter called her, a “class act who has kept everything headed in the right direction for years.” True that.

Runner-up goes to Lynn Langdon with Representative Hammond’s office. “I envy her amazing organizational skills,” was how one commenter put it.

* The 2016 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Senate Secretary/Admin. Assistant goes to another retiring person, Jan Hohl with Senator Sullivan for nominations like this…

Put simply, Jan is like bedrock in a place subject to seismic shifts of all shapes and forms– annoying lobbyists, new staff, and crazy protestors, just to name of few. She is diligent and organized, firm, yet cordial. She knows when to make a joke and when to be serious. On top of all this, she does it all with elegance and class that I fear is becoming characteristic of a bygone time. She’s been a great asset to Senator Sullivan, the Senate Democrats, and the entire Statehouse as an institution. For those reasons, and many others, I would nominate her as best legislative assistant in the Senate.

Runner-up goes to Martha Kohlrus, who was nominated by Sen. Weaver himself…

I regularly hear from constituents regarding the great service they have received from Martha whether they called, emailed or stopped by my office. She has done all she can to get me up to speed my first year in Springfield. I don’t believe I have ever met a person that can maintain such a positive attitude regardless of work load.

* Now, on to today’s categories…

* Best State House Staffer - Non Political, Democrat

* Best State Senate Staffer - Non Political, Democrat

Remember, if you just provide a name your vote won’t be counted. So, please explain your nominations and please do your very best to nominate in both categories. Thanks!

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 1:59 pm

Comments

Hey Rich,
Why isn’t there a category for non-partisan legislative staff? LRB, LRU, and LIS folks deserve some kind of recognition.

Comment by MissingG Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 2:09 pm
Senate Staff - Carrie Ramsden
As far as I am concerned any person on staff that works on human service/social service issues have some of the toughest jobs among their colleagues. They have to work on issues and priorities that constantly seem undervalued and ignored and they rarely have good news to share - certainly not for lack of trying. Carrie performs her duties with kindness, grace, and professionalism that we all should aspire towards.

House Staff - Joe Sculley
He’s BAF and goes HAM 24/7.

Comment by Waffle Fries Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 2:09 pm
House: Mike Stieren - besides the fact that he’s knowledgeable on his issues, helpful with all questions - you never see the guy without a smile on his face.

Senate: Louie Mossos - the hours that guy put in on the energy bill is amazing. Knows his stuff like the back of his hand. Snazzy dresser too.

Comment by SMH Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 2:22 pm
House Staff - James Sherwood

The guy is a machine, always on top of deadlines, and still finds time to help out his colleagues. Anyone who can balance life, helping co-workers, and be at the table during this falls energy meetings is a true winner.

Comment by Stop the Clock Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 2:22 pm
Best House Staffer: Luis Andrade.
Best Senate Staffer: Elizabeth Nelson

Comment by Boy Blunder Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 2:32 pm
Seconded on James Sherwood on HGOP Staff. Always an open door and a fair arbiter. Plus did a fantastic job balancing the constant BS during the energy debate this fall.

Comment by Senator Clay Davis Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 2:56 pm
Second on Louie Mossos in the Senate. Many staffers are hard working. Some are easygoing and don’t take themselves too seriously. A number are funny. Louie is all three. Even under some trying circumstances during his second stint.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 2:58 pm
Best Senate Staffer: Mike Hoffman staffs education issues for the Senate. His role in the many iterations of funding reform is important and he has a great grasp of a complex and contentious issue.
Best House Staffer: Justin Cox. He heads up all of the difficult issues for the Speaker, including the recent energy bill and all of its 10 amendments. He deserves the award for last week alone, but his responsibilities go way beyond energy.

Comment by Ned Nederlander Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 3:13 pm
House GOP - James Sherwood: He’s only been on the GOP staff a few years, but he’s made his mark. He’s a whip smart lawyer and he has personal skills (which many lawyers lack). He works on all of the big issues from workers comp to energy. He asks thoughtful, intelligent questions and has a way of remaining calm in the storm.

House Dems - Margaret Livingston: She may not be well known but she’s an up and comer in Madigan’s shop. She is the staffer members can turn to for quick, good reviews of legislation. Doesn’t hurt she’s hilarious.

Comment by interesting Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 3:15 pm
Senate GOP: Jo Johnson is a statehouse fixture and often doesn’t get the credit she deserves. She works her tail off to protect her members. She’s loyal and courageous.

Senate Dems: Ashley Jenkins blows them all away. She knows just about everything there is to know about criminal law and she can negotiate like no other.

Comment by interesting Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 3:19 pm
House Dems: Will 2nd Margaret Livingston. Impossibly hard worker, even better human being.

House R’s: Will ring the bell for Sherwood for the aforementioned reasons.

Comment by AlfondoGonz Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 3:19 pm
Senate Staff: Aaron Holmes. He’s a hardworking guy with a good head on his shoulders. I don’t think there’s anyone who can say anything bad about him. He’s going to go far in this business.

Comment by Miss Marie Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 3:23 pm
House Dems - Luis Andrade. Human services and Medicaid issues in this current climate are tough to wade through, and Luis does a good job

Senate Dems - Mike Hoffmann. Mike has put in hundreds of hours on school funding reform, staffing several statewide commissions on the matter and both drafting and analyzing giant bills changing how the state spends a big chunk of money. He’s a solid, hard-working guy.

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 3:26 pm
Best State House Staffer - Justin Cox. Always serious and thoughtful, he knows the details of legislation better than anybody under the Capitol.

Best State Senate Staffer - Louie Mossos. Louie is a workaholic and can make any complex issue look easy (energy, gaming, telecom). I heard from several caucus members they really appreciated the way he helped them understand a complex and technical 500-page energy bill less than 24 hours after it was filed!

Comment by Top Scot Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 3:26 pm
I will also go with Louie Mosses on Senate staff. Besides being the sharp dresser that others mentioned he always gets back to you asap. And he is accessible even after hours to discuss business. And he obviously doesn’t try to hide in a back office. I don’t really recall any staffer having an office right on the hall on 3.

Comment by Been There Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 3:27 pm
Can I nominate Chris Coleman for Senate staffer? He’s one of the hardest working people I know. I can’t believe the hours he put in on a session day. Not to mention all the difficult personalities he had to put up with. But he never let it show because he was the most pleasant guy I’ve ever talk to.

Comment by Gin and Politcs Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 3:33 pm
Second the Mike Hoffman nomination.
He could run the gov’s school funding reform hearings in his sleep. But he’s almost always too busy to sleep.
Quintessential pro on big ticket issues while also handling the daily demands from Senate Dems on all things education.
Doesn’t get much better than Mike.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 3:34 pm
Can I nominate Chris Coleman for Senate best staffer? He’s one of the hardest working individuals I know. I can’t believe all the hours he would put into a session day. Not to mention all the difficult personalities he had to deal with. But he didn’t let it show. I’d have to say he’s the nicest person I’ve ever met.

Comment by Gin and Politics Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 3:36 pm
Carrie Ramsden is a delight to work with and be around. Very earnest and hard working.

Comment by Signal and Noise Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 3:49 pm
For the House, Sydney Holman. She is wise beyond her years, extremely passionate about actually helping people (a rarity these days) and a super quick study.

Comment by Signal and Noise Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 3:50 pm
Mandy Drendel on Senate Dems Staff is incredibly hardworking and keeps her nose to the grindstone. Revenue is not easy, but she’s ridiculously smart and developed quite a knowledge about it in such a short time.

Comment by Bartlett for President Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 3:58 pm
House Staffer: James O’Brien. This was the first year he had to fly solo as the Education Staffer for the Speaker’s Staff and one might argue it was the most difficult year yet, with funding reform proposal after funding reform proposal being launched at the end of June. He was on the ball every step of the way.
Senate Staff: Mike Hoffman for the same reason–what a hard year to be an ed staffer. But he is proven himself every year to be knowledgeable and calm under pressure and all around fun to work with.

Comment by Mocking Jay Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:04 pm
Senate staff: Mike Hoffman. He mastered and served on the issue of school reform this year. Smart, dedicated and humble. Doesn’t get better than that.

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:05 pm
Have to go with Justin Cox (House Dem) and Louie Mossos (Senate Dem) for the simple reason that whenever the GA has any BIG issue, these are the guys standing next to the sponsors and negotiating with the interested parties. Their caucus trusts them with some pretty technical and involved matters.

They take their job seriously and you have to be on your A-game when dealing with them because they can (and will) call you out if you aren’t being truthful. I’ve always gotten straight answers from these guys, even when it wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but that’s OK.

Louie can multi-task! He was talking to my clients in his office once, while responding to e-mails, and his office and cell phones were both ringing.

Comment by Rob V. Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:12 pm
I nominate Jo Johnson for best Senate staffer. Pragmatic, smart & experienced. Wish that there were more Springfield types like her.

Comment by Stones Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:19 pm
Mike Hoffmann. Agree with the all of the above mentioned, but the bottom line is; he’s a nice guy who also works really hard. He answers the phone. He finds answers to questions. He gives a damn. He shows up. Senate Dems are lucky to have him.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:23 pm
Senate Staffer: Mike Hoffman. He’s a hard worker and deals with a lot on education. He has institutional knowledge, thoughtful insight, and is just really pleasant to work with.

House Staffer: Sydney Holman. THIS GIRL IS SMART! She knows the Revenue Code better than most people roaming the Capitol. She’s innovative, diligent, and nice–unbeatable combo. Very deserving of this award.

Comment by 4 Star General Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:39 pm
I would echo the comments about Mike Hoffmann. Ed policy is already a complex task and he manages that along with the many school funding reform efforts. And in top of all of that he is responsive and helpful.

Comment by Jojo Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:45 pm
Best Senate staffer– Mike Hoffmann. Balanced and fair, so knowledgeable in every meeting he’s in. Humble guy, too. Not sure how Senate Ed would get along without him, especially considering all the “progress” we are making on funding reform.

Comment by Al Fresco Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 4:53 pm
I second the nomination for Ashley Jenkins for Senate Staffer. She does dual duty staffing two active committees Executive and Criminal Law. She has done all the work on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Reform and she gently guides members into understanding the unintended consequences of some of their ridiculous proposals.

Comment by Old Fashioned Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 5:09 pm
Best House Staffer: Hands down Justin Cox is deserving of this award. He is one of the hardest working staffers under the dome, and one of the go-to staffers for huge projects as evidenced by his tremendous work on the recent Excelon legislation. He is a top notch performer, a definitive leader, and a great person on top of it all. I don’t think you could find anyone who would say a bad word about Justin and his work.

Best Senate Staffer: Carrie Ramsden has worked very hard on Human Services for a number of years and knows the budgets and the issues better than most people. She is also great to work with, extremely helpful, and has a very professional demeanor.

Comment by Xavier Woods Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 5:12 pm
Senate - Mike Hoffmann. Mike is a solid individual who has a great grasp on education issues. While funding reform has taken up a lot of his time this year he has spent countless hours wrangling and counseling the members of his committee and staffing countless other bills. He returns every call and helps others whenever he can. He makes it easier to do my job and can always make me laugh. Simply said - he’s the best.

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 6:05 pm
Hands down Louie Mossos. Most people have a single important issue, this guy seems to have them all. He’s been around for a long time and members from all sides value his opinion. We need more easy going people like this in the GA.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 6:35 pm
Louie Mossoes for Senate and James Sherwood for House. Both are talented and easy-going; both manage to understand all aspects of some very complex issues. Plus Louie is a former House guy, so maybe that’s a two-fer.

Comment by that user name is taken Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 7:50 pm
Senate: Mike Hoffmann. In addition to being an expert in his field, he’s got to work with Sens. Lightford & Manar. I’ve heard them both on many occasions shower him with well deserved accolades. That ought to get him a lifetime award.

House: James O’Brien. Super solid, rises to the occasion, respected by the tough ed community.

Comment by I Love the Senate Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 9:04 pm
Senate: Carrie Ramsden has had the heavy lift of Human Services in the era of drastic funding cuts for years and has handled the work with tremendous empathy as well as straightforward competence. This alone should earn her the award, but if people actually knew the lengths she goes to to step in in other areas behind the scenes, there would be no doubt left in anyone’s mind that she is most deserving.

House: Echo what others have said about Sydney Holman. Smart, wickedly funny and in it for all the right reasons, she has my vote for Best House Staffer.

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 9:35 pm
Heather Wier Vaught (House) and Louie Mosos (Senate and former House)…….any time they work on a bill, you know it will get done right.

They ask all the right questions and leave no stone unturned in their quest to pass the perfect bill.

Comment by Butternut Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 9:43 pm
Senate Democrats - Louie Mossos. Yes, everyone is right that he works endlessly but that’s not it. Louie can cut through the kind of BS an energy bill attracts to discern the truth. That’s very tough to do in Springfield and he does it with aplomb.

House Rs - James Sherwood. Similar traits to Louie. Just smart and capable.

Comment by Chicago Cynic Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 2:13 am
Senate staffer: I echo the noms for Louie Mossos. He may work directly for the Senate President but all members rely on his expertise. He’s got historical knowledge on tough issues like gaming and energy; hard to find from others in the building. Bonus points for a top-notch wardrobe!

Comment by Absolutely Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 8:27 am
(Oops, forgot house) House staffer: Frank Straus. Walking encyclopedia. Always takes the time to call you back and follows up with you at times when others wouldn’t bother.

Comment by Absolutely Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 8:29 am
Sneate Staffer: Carrie Ramsden without question. She handles some of the toughest issues the GA deals with. Issues like deaths in facilities and cuts to programs that are safety nets for large groups of people. She know her stuff and knows when to play hardball do accomplish something.

Comment by Give Me A Break Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 8:44 am
House Staffer: Luis Andrade. How he handles keeping control of the House Dems on those human services and approp. committees is beyond me.

He has the thankless task of telling members No when they introduce bills that costs millions and then he gets to try explain to members how Medicaid, Managed Care and Human Services work. I don’t think he sleeps he just rest his eyes for short periods of time.

Comment by Give Me A Break Thursday, Dec 8, 16 @ 8:47 am