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Question of the day: Golden Horseshoe Awards

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Illinois

* The 2020 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Senate Democratic Non-Campaign Staffer goes to Brandy Renfro…

Brandy doesn’t just help with communications, she runs communications for the Senate Democrats. All of those things — member press conferences, social media, townhalls, telephone townhalls and so much more internal work — happen because of her long commitment to and understanding of that caucus as she’s risen up the ranks over the years to be Communications Director. She’s kept building and made Senate Dem communications better than ever.

Gio wins runner-up.

* The 2020 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Senate Republican Non-Campaign Staffer is a tie. Jo Johnson…

Jo has been a cornerstone, not just for SGOP but for the Senate as a whole. Jo has always worked openly and cooperatively with the other side of the aisle and others whose opinions may have differed from her members. Jo is an effective negotiator, a hard worker, and an amazing human being. The Senate as an institution will suffer a huge loss with Jo’s retirement.

And Rachel Bold…

Dealing with members, especially at a time when everyone on the R side feels they aren’t being heard is enough to cause a slight case of insanity for most but Rachel handles it so well and provides and level of assurance and guidance that defines what it is to be staff.

They are both well-deserved awards. Congrats to everyone and I’d like to once again say how appreciative I am of all staff at all levels in these trying times.

* On to today’s categories…

Best Legislative Liaison

Best Statewide Staffer

The best statewide staffer category can include US Senate, Auditor General, agencies, etc.

Please try your best to nominate in both categories and make sure to explain your nominations or they will not count. Thanks.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 12:41 pm

Comments

Hi Rich, I want to nominate James Preckwinkle with IDES. I know he is under so much stress and working with our offices. He has hosted regular Zoom calls with our staff and is trying his best to work through the worst of the worst, the fraud and the extreme overload that the IDES department is experiencing with our staff. Thank you James for all your hard work, you deserve this nomination.

Comment by Kifowit Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 12:49 pm
Not sure if she qualifies as liaison or statewide staffer, but I nominate Laura Vaught, Director of Legislative Affairs for DPH. DPH has had to deal with unprecedented questions, problems, and issues. Laura has been the go-to person for legislators, staff, hospitals, nursing homes, lobbyists, and others who need to get answers or register grievances. She’s always willing to take a call and listen to the problem. When she can help, she does. If she can’t, she helps figure out who can. Laura goes above and beyond to get the job done and knows how to work with people. She is the epitome of a true public servant. Not to mention, in her spare time she does a ton of stuff to help the community.

Comment by best time of year Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 1:07 pm
Liaison

Second all nominations for James Preckwinkle. He’s technically the sole liaison at IDES and the absolute crush of the system has been debilitating and depressing. However, despite all the opportunity and reason to throw others under the bus, be snippy, etc., he has not done that (unlike some above him). Just dealing with hundreds or thousands of emails he’s gotten on a daily basis since March has got to be incredible. That’s like it’s own full-time job just reading them! And yet he’s worked to act on as many of them as possible and keep legislators and staff informed to the extent he is able (again the same cannot be said for some of those above him).

As much as James has done incredible work, I also want to say that the DCEO staff has been incredible as well. There should be a 3-way tie between James Preckinwkle, Margaret Croke and Aaron Stein. At DCEO Margaret and Aaron have been at the top of their game keeping legislators and staff informed. She was coming off of running for an office to have COVID hit and then the Director went on maternity leave. Despite this, Margaret and Aaron kept the show on the road, preparing briefs, webinars, etc. that have a lot of depth and are high-quality. DCEO is running some of the biggest relief programs in the country as far as business support and it’s awesome that they are able to keep legislators and staff informed in order to help constituents.

Statewide

Henry Haupt at SOS. SOS has stayed on top of the information available, moving people towards digital options when possible, being flexible about mobile SOS programs and through it all the public and legislators have been well informed and well positioned to inform the less well informed.

Comment by Precinct Captain Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 1:13 pm
I am impressed with Aaron Stein at DCEO because he has helped us deal with both the mitigation and recovery sides during our struggles with the pandemic. He has worked with organizations and companies to get moving on mitigation and safety, on waivers to allow delivery of essential services and products, sorting thru the morass of potential benefits and grants for companies, and generally listening well and communicating crisply. You have a question — Aaron provides an answer, no BS. He also tells you when he doesn’t know, and goes and finds out. Thank you Aaron.

Comment by walker Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 1:44 pm
I second Aaron Stein at DCEO. He’s done a yeoman’s job implementing the distribution of CARE funds to the locals, he’s professional and friendly and always available. And very willing to share information. Well done Aaron.

Comment by Nova Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 1:47 pm
I’ll echo the nomination of Jim Preckwinkle at IDES. The UI Act is a fairly arcane body of law to begin with and Jim’s responsiveness, especially during 2020, is nothing short of remarkable.

Comment by From the far, far western suburbs Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 1:56 pm
If we aren’t talking about HW Devlin at SOS for statewide, then we aren’t having a serious conversation. Great guy, knows the office inside and out, and is willing to help at a moments notice. For LL, i feel like you have to go with James at IDES. Handling the toughest situation like a pro, and doing a great job!

Comment by blue line Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 1:59 pm
I want to nominate Ellen Andres with the Comptroller’s Office for best statewide staffer. As you may have seen, she was profiled in a number of articles for taking extreme measures early on during the COVID crisis - when much was unknown and people were experiencing a lot of fear - to ensure that PPE could be obtained by the state for front line service providers. This included a 3.5 hour race against the clock down I-55 to make a payment to a vendor who then deposited a check to purchase PPE in China.

Her office never closed. Staff was rotated in and managed in shifts on site so that payments - many millions of checks - have been delivered.

Many people took exceptional steps to try to protect Illiniosans and a good deal of credit should also go to the Governor’s procurement staff for their ability to chase down PPE and other needs ahead of other states. They worked really well with agencies and statewides to put Illinois first, especially during that first wave of COVID.

Comment by P. Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 2:02 pm
Best Legislative Liaison - Amanda Elliott at the Illinois State Board of Education. Amanda has been a staple to multiple administrations with her knowledge and expertise in education. Amanda consistently knows the answers and if she doesn’t finds out. She is the go to person for all K-12 matters & has done an awesome job with handling remote learning questions and guidance. Amanda works hard and deserves recognition for all her success.

Comment by Under the dome Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 2:10 pm
Gotta echo the sentiments on Laura Vaught. Being at IPDH right now is obviously ridiculous, and she has ALWAYS done an excellent job. Always responsive and willing to help. Definitely deserving of the Golden Horseshoe.

Comment by Zack Morris Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 2:11 pm
Best Legislative Liaison: Laura Vaught at IDPH. No one realizes how many hours/days per week this woman has been working for the past 11 months (their work started before we were in full pandemic mode). Laura makes herself available to legislators, staffers, sister agencies and industry to answer questions, explain policies and navigate the bureaucracy of a state agency that is the face of this pandemic. Due to years of reduced staffing and budgets, IDPH has relied on Laura’s willingness to take on additional duties for the good of the team in key areas that have needed the most assistance. IDPH is so fortunate Laura answered their call to come back and at just the right time. Laura has also managed to continue her volunteer work and willingness to take a call from a fellow liaison struggling to make it through the day, even if her day hasn’t been much better. That is the true definition of a leader.

My runner-up for this category is her Laura’s #2 at IDPH Allison Nickrent. Everyone talks about low staffing, but throughout most of the pandemic it has only been Laura and Allison to assist legislators, industry and even work with families that have loved ones in the long-term care facilities. Allison has taken the lead with the long-term care facilities and their associations - a task that would make most liaisons quit. However, Allison accepted the challenge full board – she has earned the respect and recognition from legislators and industry that she rightly deserves.

Best Statewide Staffer: Dr. Ezike. Rich, you hit this one right on the nose. I will never forget being at the Governor’s Mansion at the end of February celebrating Black History Month (one of my last pre-covid memories). Governor Pritzker shouted out every agency director he saw but forgot to mention Dr. Ezike (he said he didn’t see her). Less than a month later, we all got to know the woman breaking out perfect Spanish at her first press conference as non-other than the invaluable Dr. Ezike. Dr. Ezike has been the leader and champion through the hard days and continues to do the work of saints. Like Laura Vaught, I’m not sure folks realize the hours Dr. Ezike pours into each week trying to keep Illinois on the pathway out of this pandemic. As an added bonus, one doesn’t just get interviewed by the New York Times – Dr. Ezike is a role model for all of us, especially for little girls seeing a strong woman leading the COVID-19 fight in one of the most populous states in the country.

Comment by MakePoliticsCoolAgain Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 3:45 pm
So many of Illinois’ underappreciated state employees rose to the occasion this challenging year to help people. Two employees in the Illinois Office of Comptroller in particular stepped forward and got national recognition for it. Asst. Comptroller Ellen Andres and Dir. of Administration Cortez Gillespie hopped in their cars and raced up I-55 with $3 million checks to secure face masks and other PPE for our first responders before other states or countries could out-bid us. That’s over and above their yeoman’s service coming in through the pandemic to make sure the paychecks keep going out to 62,000 state employees as well as retirees and contractors. MSNBC and NPR among others spelled out Andres’ and Gillespie’s efforts. https://www.npr.org/2020/04/24/842990006/what-it-takes-to-get-a-mask https://www.msnbc.com/katy-tur/watch/illinois-official-on-race-for-medical-equipment-81706565795?cid=sm_npd_ms_fb_ma&fbclid=IwAR2tzDU03spxQxPuKbdXXburDt-Yv_ViVaH8CKZF1zsGHlK6RbdqSSwSe-k

Comment by Abdon Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 3:58 pm
I want to nominate Sol Flores for the best statewide staffer award. As the health and human services Deputy Governor, it has been Sol and her team serving as point for all aspects of the pandemic response for the state of Illinois. I’m not sure if folks really appreciate what that has been like for the better part of a year and how much has landed on Sol’s shoulders time and again.

For the staff that has had to figure out how to manage through an unprecedented crisis, how to confront the reality of more death than is emotionally manageable at times, how to fix problems left in the wake of an unbelievable failure at the national level - Sol has been a welcome light in some dark times. She does her job with competence, integrity and an unending good humor. She has made herself an expert on PPE, mobile hospitals, Covid testing, hospital capacity, contact tracing, community spread, infection data and now, finally, vaccine distribution. She has earned the respect and love of everyone in the Governor’s office and at the agencies she oversees.

Even in the darkest moments she has found ways to make people laugh and smile. She brings the humanity and vision of her long career in the nonprofit world to the difficult ethical questions the state faces every day. And she has done all of that without a day off or a full night’s sleep in 10 months.

Comment by Randall79 Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 4:07 pm
I second the nomination of Amanda Elliott of the State Board of Education. Amanda has served the agency for eight years and really positioned herself as the respected-lead on any education-related legislative proposal. She is tough when she has to be but also offers advice and guidance to legislators and stakeholders alike (and has served/survived three Governors, HELLO!!) ISBE is lucky to have her as our the schools across Illinois.

Comment by Sitting the Bench Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 4:27 pm
Legislative Liaison - Amanda Elliott is the go to person for legislators, lobbyists and staff alike at The Illinois State Board of Education. Amanda - always returns a call- no matter what time of day. She works hard, listens and you don’t want her on the other side of a bill! Amanda is also a passionate advocate for education. She is personally invested in what she works on!

Statewide Staffer- I have to give this to Sol Flores. The agencies that are in her portfolio are not easy to manage on a good day; but COVID has only increased the pressure and squeezed the pocketbooks of these agencies. Sol oversees IDPH, which she has helped navigate by engaging community stakeholders. Sol also is the “real deal.” She has a heart bigger the size of Illinois and the Governor’s Office is truly lucky to have Sol on their team!

Comment by HeyRich Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 4:27 pm
Amanda Elliot at ISBE for legislative Liaison. She wears a dozen hats and works through nights and weekends. She makes everyone else look like their doing their job because she gets it done. She genuinely cares about all children. She’s quick, efficient, and beyond competent. Ds and Rs, liberals and conservatives, all will say she is honest, fair, and always tried to be as helpful as she possibly can. For statewide staffer I’ll go with Aaron Stein for all the aforementioned reasons.

Comment by Deep Dish Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 4:57 pm
Best Legislative Liaison - Amy Brennan at IDVA. Always prepared, always knows her stuff on every issue. Totally accessible and always delivers.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 5:17 pm
Sol Flores for best staffer. She’s lead the covid work day to day and department by department. Keeps her head down and gets it done. She has a different role than our top doc - who is invaluable - but Sol is running the train with all the cars behind it.

Comment by Shytown Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 5:31 pm
Best Legislative Liason: Amanda Elliott at the State Board of Education. She is smart, responsive, and is the face of the agency where issues are always deeply political. Heck she even survived the Rauner years. There is no more challenging liason position than at ISBE. She started on senate Dem staff years ago and has earned the reputation that she has today. She is a dedicated public servant.

Best Statewide Staffer: Sol Flores has been an unsung hero throughout the pandemic and she doesn’t get enough accolades. She isn’t in front of the media or the cameras but she is in the thick of every decision. Sol goes about her work quietly and thoroughly and always has a smile on her face.

Comment by Opening Day Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 5:40 pm
Oh and best liaison is definitely Amanda Elliott at ISBE. Top notch. Organized. Responsive.

Comment by Shytown Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 5:46 pm
Best statewide staffer, Dr Ezike hands down. She’s a treasure, for many reasons. We thought for a day she would get all the Golden Horseshoes, and I was fine with that.

I think of her as somehow beyond “staffer”, (no disrespect meant to anyone.)

Comment by walker Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 6:00 pm
Amanda Elliott deserves this award hands down. She’s extremely responsive, knows her subject matter inside and out and works harder than anyone under the dome.

Comment by Currer Bell Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 6:47 pm
I gotta pile on to Amanda Elliott. Woman is super smart and always working. This year has been a challenge but she has rised to the occasion.

Comment by Anon1 Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 6:58 pm
LL- Gotta go with Amanda Elliott at ISBE. Amanda is the go to person at ISBE for legislators, lobbyists and staff. She knows her stuff. She’s passionate and believes in what she is working on. She always returns calls and emails and I wouldn’t want to be on the other side of any bill she is against!

Statewide Staff- Sol Flores has the portfolio of the State’s neediest citizens. COVID 19 only increased the pressure and purse strings for those agencies. Flores is a true advocate for the agencies she oversees. She’s collaborative and caring. Her infectious nature inspires others and her work ethic is one to be admired.

Comment by Yasssssss Thursday, Dec 17, 20 @ 8:25 pm
Gonna second- or third?- the nomination of Ellen Andres at the Comptroller’s Office. The story of her cruising up I-55 to secure PPE is emblematic of everything public servants did right during this awful year. She proved to be dedicated and resourceful, and the media coverage put the state in a rare good life.

For LL I’ll also go with Amanda Elliott. There’s a reason she’s survived multiple administrations.

Comment by Arsenal Friday, Dec 18, 20 @ 10:41 am
Rich, Voting for the home team here, but best Liaison is Allison Nickrent. Handles the legislative side like a 20 year pro and has done more for Illinois’ testing program than you can know.

Dr. Ezike is a shoo-in for statewide staffer. Tireless and sleepless effort since January being the face of the fight against the COVID-19.

Comment by IDPHCOS Friday, Dec 18, 20 @ 10:50 am