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Rich Guidice, Sen. Pacione-Zayas take helm of new Johnson administration

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* These are good picks…

Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson today named Rich Guidice as his incoming Chief of Staff and Dr. Cristina Pacione-Zayas as his incoming First Deputy Chief of Staff.

Guidice, who most recently served as Executive Director of Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications, and Pacione-Zayas, who currently serves as Illinois State Senator for the 20th District, both bring years of experience in delivering for the people of Chicago.

“It’s going to take all of us to build a better, stronger, safer Chicago, and I know the people of Chicago will be served well by Rich Guidice as my Chief of Staff and Dr. Cristina Pacione-Zayas as my Deputy Chief of Staff,” said Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson. “Both Rich and Cristina have shown dedication to making Chicago work for all of Chicago, and I know they will lead these positions with a sense of collaboration, compassion, and competence.”

“It’s an honor to join the incoming Johnson administration and help deliver a stronger and safer Chicago for all,” said Rich Guidice, incoming Chief of Staff. “Together, we will build a government that addresses the challenges ahead, delivers on the promise of a better city, and unites all Chicagoans around our common goals.”

“I am excited to join Mayor-Elect Johnson’s City Hall and help lead a team dedicated to lifting-up working people, strengthening our public schools, and fostering safer communities,” said Dr. Cristina Pacione-Zayas, incoming First Deputy Chief of Staff. “We are building a team that will deliver for the people of Chicago, and I look forward to our work together.”

Rich Guidice, Chief of Staff, is a seasoned public servant and emergency operations professional with decades of experience working on behalf of Chicagoans. Guidice most recently served as head of the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications, where since 2019 he oversaw the city’s emergency response, 911 call center, and traffic management system, playing a pivotal role in coordinating crisis response efforts and enhancing public safety infrastructure across city agencies. His tenure as head of the agency drew widespread praise for its innovative, technology-driven approach. Before that, he helped create the city’s Traffic Management Authority and oversaw planning and coordination for large-scale events like the 2008 inauguration of President Barack Obama. Born and raised on the northwest side of Chicago, Guidice currently lives in the Schorsch Village neighborhood.

Dr. Cristina Pacione-Zayas, First Deputy Chief of Staff, is a distinguished education and policy advocate widely recognized for her efforts to promote educational equity and advance social justice through her service in community-based and policy organizations, Chicago Public Schools, and as board secretary of the Illinois State Board of Education. Formerly as the Associate Vice President of Policy at the Erikson Institute, she played a crucial role in shaping early childhood policy and advocating for children, families, communities. Dr. Pacione-Zayas is credited with establishing Erikson’s Early Childhood Leadership Academy and Community Data Lab—two statewide initiatives that have helped Illinois leaders and lawmakers understand the importance of investing in children’s early years and their overall well-being and development. Since December 2020, Dr. Pacione-Zayas has served as a State Senator representing the 20th District leading education, housing and public safety policy initiatives. Born and raised in Chicago, Dr. Pacione-Zayas earned her doctorate in Educational Policy Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

* From a recent Sun-Times article when Guidice announced his retirement from OEMC…

The Humboldt Park native joined OEMC in 2005, overseeing championship parades for the White Sox, Blackhawks and Cubs, as well as security at the 2012 NATO Summit.

Tribune…

He is well-respected in government circles and has public safety experience, a plus for Johnson as his administration works to replace Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown and demonstrate the they’ll be able to handle problems in the Loop like the chaos that unfolded last weekend.

Again, that’s a very strong hire.

And CP-Z is, IMHO, brilliant. She also has strong ties to the city’s progressives.

…Adding… Illinois Restaurant Association…

We commend Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson on his selection of Richard Guidice to serve as Chief of Staff. Rich is a distinguished public servant who has served the City of Chicago notably for over three decades.

With this appointment, the Mayor-Elect signals his strong commitment to prioritizing solutions to some of the most pressing concerns facing our city, including safety and security.

We applaud this pragmatic decision and look forward to working with the Mayor-Elect and Rich.

* Meanwhile, from ABC 7…

Afterwards, Johnson spoke publicly for the first time about weekend violence that caused chaos in downtown Chicago and along the lakefront.

“The violence that happened over the weekend - and the violence that happens too many weekends and too many days - of course we don’t condone that behavior,” Johnson said.

Johnson denied he was sending mixed messages over the weekend in a statement where said the violence can’t be condoned, but also said it was not constructive to “demonize youth.”

The exchange between Johnson and the station’s Craig Wall was quite something…

Wall: You said that it’s not constructive to demonize youth who’ve otherwise been starved with opportunities in our communities. There has been some criticism of that that suggested you are in some way passively condoning that behavior for kids.

Johnson: …What does the whole statement say?

Wall: I realize that, but…

Johnson: I get it, but, because there are two aspects. So let’s talk about both aspects. I do not, look, the violence that happened over the weekend and the violence that happens too many weekends and too many days. Of course we don’t condone that behavior. That’s the first thing that I said.

Look, you’ve been a part of my conversations about raising a family in Austin. Who has more incentive for a safe Chicago than someone who is raising a family in a neighborhood where there are more homicides in my neighborhood over the last four years combined than many of the neighborhoods that have been discussed.

[Cross talk.]

It’s not a mixed message. Slow down for a second, OK? It’s not a mixed message. These false choices that people continue to try to make, this body and the city of Chicago make, and it ends under my administration. That’s a false choice. You can make sure that we eradicate the root causes that lead to violence. And we also can make sure that there’s support on the frontline to make sure that we’re preventing violence. It’s a false choice. And no one takes it more seriously than a family that lives through it every single day.

Do you think I want my son on his bike, and he has to worry about getting shot? Do you really believe that?

Wall: No.

Johnson: Of course you don’t. Right? So don’t give people false choices. We get to do both, you all. It is well past due that we put an end to this dynamic that somehow not making, look demonizing children is wrong. We have to keep them safe as well. Have you ever taught middle school? I have. Have you ever raised young people? Do you understand the risk that young people take just because they’re young? Do you know that home plate is at the bottom of my stairs? I found that out when my son was sliding down those stairs trying to score. They’re young. Sometimes they make silly decisions. They do. So we have to make sure that we are investing to make sure that young people know that they are supported. But we also have to make sure that police officers who put their lives on the line have the resources that they need to keep us safe.

Please pardon all transcription errors.

* Springfield coverage roundup from Isabel…

Tribune | Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson tells state lawmakers funding for schools, youth jobs tie into ‘mandate’ to tackle crime with investment:

* Sun-Times | Mayor-elect Johnson pitches unity to state legislators in Springfield: ‘Our challenges are not that unique’: Johnson kept his Capitol visit to generalities and focused on unity, saying he has spoken to Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Democratic leaders about “making sure that we’re investing in the necessary programs that will allow for our neighborhoods to be a lot safer.” And even as the clock ticks for legislators to finalize a state budget, Johnson said he didn’t come to Springfield to “dictate” what Chicago needs when it comes to public safety dollars.

* Crain’s | Brandon Johnson goes to Springfield with a few big asks — and a big message: The city’s incoming mayor made it clear that he wants changes in the state’s school aid formula. It was heavily revamped a few years ago with an eye toward putting more money into lower-income school districts with higher needs, but Johnson said more changes are needed, changes sufficient to ensure that every school in the state has a nurse and a social worker. The latter has been a longtime goal of the Chicago Teachers Union, where until recently Johnson worked as an organizer. Only such spending will break “the cycle of violence” that afflicts many neighborhoods, Johnson said.

* AP | Chicago Mayor-elect Johnson pledges ‘smart’ fight on crime: Pounded later by reporters’ questions about reducing crime in Chicago, he promised to be “smart” as well as “tough,” putting resources into youth employment and other preventive measures as well as enforcement. But his primary message was one of collaboration. “They told us that if something is good for Chicago, that means we’re taking something away from Peoria,” Johnson told lawmakers. “They tell us that the challenges that we face in the city of Chicago … aren’t the same challenges shared by families from Rockford to Carbondale. … No one has to lose at the expense of someone else winning. There’s more than enough for everybody in the state of Illinois.”

* NBC Chicago | Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson Addresses Lawmakers in Springfield Wednesday: Johnson will also meet with the House Democratic Caucus, the release says, “to discuss how state lawmakers and his administration can best work together to deliver lasting results for Chicago residents and all of Illinois.” “I am excited to join our dedicated leaders in Springfield and discuss how we can invest in people to lift up all of our communities,” Johnson said in the release. “Building a better, stronger, safer Chicago will take all of us, and I look forward to establishing a strong foundation for collaboration.”

* ABC Chicago | Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson on Chicago weekend chaos: ‘We don’t condone that behavior’: Johnson told lawmakers that Chicago and Springfield can get along even though they may not always agree on things. On several occasions, he received a standing ovation from Democrats when talking about his progressive agenda, but some Republicans were not impressed. “Is there any accountability? Is there any consequences? There’s no consequences in the city of Chicago instead, Brandon Johnson makes excuses for them,” said Blaine Wilhour, R-107th District.

* WTTW | Brandon Johnson Claims Mandate to Reshape Public Safety, Pledges to Partner with General Assembly: Johnson also vowed to reopen six mental health clinics closed more than a decade ago as part of his effort to address the root causes of crime in Chicago. Johnson did not miss the opportunity to ask state lawmakers to help Chicago, urging them to “fully fund” the Chicago Public Schools. Under the state’s education funding formula, Chicago schools are due an additional $1.4 billion to serve the city’s students, according to CPS and state officials. In addition, if state funds paid for teachers’ pensions — as they do in every other school district — CPS would have an additional $552 million to fund schools.

* Bond Buyer | Chicago’s Lightfoot aims to cement pension policy legacy: This instead The forecast also depends on Chicago Public Schools covering $245 million of what amounts to a $291 million responsibility for its non-teaching employees that participate in the city’s municipal fund in the current budget. The city’s payment totals $976 million this year. The $250 million it asked CPS to pay this year is up from $175 million last year and the 2024, 2025, and 2026 projected gaps rely on CPS covering its full share which grows to between $304 million and $309 million annually. The Chicago Teachers’ Union has criticized the city for transferring the burden and Johnson, who is a former teacher and organizer for the CTU, has said that the city should continue to financially help CPS even as it moves to an elected board in the coming years.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 9:42 am

Comments

Demonizing people is always wrong. Even if they do wrong and we have to send them to prison.

It’s called Department of Corrections, not Department of Demonization.

Comment by Mayo Sandwich Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 9:46 am
Rich Guidice is great pick for Chief of Staff due to his in-depth knowledge of the City, experience managing a department, experience with emergency responses, and experience working on public safety.

Comment by City Guy Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 9:47 am
I didn’t vote for Johnson & am generally not a fan. That being said, I love the city & want it to succeed. We all should.

Both of these are very, very strong hires. Impressive first moves. Keep it up !! We are all cheering you on !!

Comment by Helm Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 9:48 am
==Slow down for a second, OK? ==

Sounded to me like it was the mayor elect who needed to “slow down”.

No one was “demonizing the kids”. They were asking, like Alderman Reilly, why this seems to keep happening w CPD largely unprepared. Thats what the issue is. N

Comment by low level Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 9:52 am
===No one was “demonizing the kids”===

lol

It is far too early in the day to be that drunk.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 9:52 am
Dr. CPZ is brilliant. So she’ll be leaving the Senate?

Comment by Deputy Chief Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 9:53 am
==No one was “demonizing the kids”. ==

Yeah, lots of people absolutely were. And we should understand that calls for curfews have a lot of that in their DNA, too.

==They were asking, like Alderman Reilly, why this seems to keep happening w CPD largely unprepared.==

And that’s a good question for the incumbent mayor who is still in office.

Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 10:03 am
Guidice seems to send the right message, especially with the DNC coming to town.

CPZ is brilliant, and those of us outside of Chicago are gonna miss her in the Capitol.

Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 10:04 am
Happy to see Johnson not backing down from those comments. Any reasonable person knows that two things can be true. You can condemn behavior and make it subject to consequences, while also not demonizing the individual, especially when it involves children. It doesn’t matter that it angered a bunch of revenge-minded reactionaries, especially because so much of it comes from an idealized, largely fictional version of past decades.

Comment by Jack Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 10:05 am
Another thought is that Johnson is really trying to put himself in a good position with the GA. It’s a good idea, of course. LL’s relationship with Springfield was always strained, and there’s a lot of resources he can use for Chicago there if he gets legislative buy-in.

Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 10:06 am
Two solid choices, Johnson understands the game here.

Yes, there’s a demonizing kids.

To Johnson’s speech,

I said all I wanted to, I had it earlier but it’s important to look at Johnson asking for a full loaf (and then some) and that’s what Johnson should do, but Johnson should, and his staff and crew need to prepare to get the “best half loaf” they could get.

Nothing wrong with asking, what’s wrong is expecting, and expecting leads to disappointment. Get the best half loaf, then get rolling.

I also appreciate Rich’s catch earlier, with complaints and signaling about “parents” and this idea later that adult supervision “won’t work”. That was a good catch to this wanted narrative to “parents”

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 10:09 am
==And that’s a good question for the incumbent mayor who is still in office.==.

I’d like to hear both the incumbent mayor and mayor elect on what they propose.

Comment by low level Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 10:17 am
perhaps the COS pick is to make sure the ship is on the right course at the start. then he can really retire and hand it over to CPZ. She is a policy brain type he is a doer.

Comment by Amalia Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 10:22 am
Very impressed with the Guidice choice. A smart professional who brings completely different strengths to the 5th floor than Johnson does. They will complement each other well.

CPZ will also be great there.

Johnson impressing me more and more - that pushback on Wall was really something.

Comment by Immigrants Welcome Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 10:32 am
==I’d like to hear both the incumbent mayor and mayor elect on what they propose.==

Well, I mean, “Why was CPD unprepared?” and “What do you propose we do to make sure they’re not unprepared next time?” are two different questions. And frankly, Johnson can’t really speak to the first, and Lightfoot can’t say much about the second.

Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 10:39 am
==delivering for the people of Chicago== now that can be taken a couple of ways.

Comment by Blue Dog Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 11:22 am
The ineffective response to the violence is on the Lightfoot admin and CPD, not the mayor elect. I also do not think Johnson is condoning the violence or those who are responsible.

What I don’t here, and maybe it isn’t important right now, is a demand to hold those that are responsible for the violence accountable. Maybe he was trying to say that but it didn’t come off that way to me.

You can have compassion for kids and still hold them accountable for their behavior. Most of what I saw were teens out in a large group, and a very small number that were violent. Should be reasonably easy to address.

What I saw of CPD is that they were ineffectual at best and derelict at worst. CPD and their union have a lot to answer for and it is time they are held accountable.

Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 11:25 am
Thank you for publishing the exchange between Johnson and Craig Wall. It illustrates the way Johnson argues about issues that to me seems a bit off. Unfair. Illogical. Emotional. Maybe a philosphy major can tell me the name of the rhetorical device he is employing.

He can say “I live in Austin. Do you think I want my child to get shot” to literally ANY question about crime and violence. What does the question about his son have to do with whether his response to the violence was tone deaf and contradictory to saying he doesn’t “condone” violence? What person would want their son to get shot?

And “have you raised a child?” Again, inappropriate emotional appeal. If what he says is true we should require all politicians to be parents before they can run for office. I wish Wall had replied: what does that have to do with anything?

Do all parents know better how to handle violence committed by angry mobs of youths who storm downtown and beat up and rob tourists and others for no reason?

Comment by tom Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 11:36 am
===his response to the violence was tone deaf and contradictory===

You completely missed the point. Try reading again beyond skimming for what you can disagree with.

A big problem in the city, which I have written about for quite a while now, is that political reporters are still stuck in a 1990s mindset.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 11:37 am
===Do all parents know better how to handle violence committed by angry mobs of youths who storm downtown and beat up and rob tourists and others for no reason?===

Aren’t the fiercest critics first to point out it’s the parenting?

There’s a couple messaging things going on then the premise of making “non-parents” or “other parents” aggrieved.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 11:39 am
Currently I pay for the State teachers and the Chicago Teachers Pension Funds.
I like the idea of either having me pay just for the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund or having Chicago be funded by the State like other school districts.

Comment by Back to the Future Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 11:43 am
“Try reading again beyond skimming for what you can disagree with.”

I read it three times. I agree with his investment in kids point completely. But it doesn’t change the fact that his response to what do we do about it NOW is totally inadequate. I think that’s what Craig was getting at. It’s far more than “make sure that police officers who put their lives on the line have the resources that they need to keep us safe.” I’m looking for, and I know a lot of the people in the downtown community are looking for, a more thoughtful answer on what are you going to do this summer to prevent this from happening again.

Comment by Not ok Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 11:46 am
Tom, you hit it on the head. That’s exactly my issue w how he answered the question. Thank you for that.

Craig Wall -please keep asking questions.

Comment by low level Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 12:13 pm
===a more thoughtful answer on what are you going to do this summer===

He’s got a month to come up with that. If he doesn’t have something soon, then yeah. But he’s not even mayor yet. Take a breath already.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 12:13 pm
Good hires. Now just don’t insult City Council on your first day, and you’re golden.

Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 12:25 pm
===That’s exactly my issue w how he answered the question.===

So the nuances of “parents” not doing their job and Johnson highlighting the parental aspects to his thoughts is troubling?

Then why even engage in Jeanne Ives thoughts to “parents”?

Once the Mayor-Elect becomes Mayor the learning curve isn’t a curve at all, it’s scaling a 90 degree wall… as “Mayors own” too.

It won’t take much in one weekend for an unsteady administration to be jarred. The loss of life that could happen, let alone injuries, this idea that Johnson will get any pass on any given event is impossible to see, and the pushback is to put a narrative of two on notice… as he’s not even Mayor. Today.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 12:28 pm
==What person would want their son to get shot?==

Man, you’re so close to getting it.

Of course no one wants their own children to get shot AND SO any suggestion that Johnson “passively condones” behavior that makes the city his children live in less safe is self-evidently silly.

Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 1:09 pm
== his response to what do we do about it NOW==

He wasn’t asked “what do we do about it NOW” he was asked if he “passively condones” the behavior displayed last Saturday night.

Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 1:11 pm
(Actually, he wasn’t asked ANYTHING, Wall did that weird “some people are saying” thing that unfortunately a lot of political reporters fall into. But to the extent there was anything to respond to there, it was “Is Brandon Johnson pro or anti violence?”)

Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 1:12 pm
==Craig Wall -please keep asking questions.==

Now that I’ve noticed it, this comment is really funny because in the transcript Rich provided, Wall doesn’t ask a question at all, lol.

Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 1:15 pm
===Man, you’re so close to getting it.===

He’ll never get it. On purpose. This isn’t about a discussion or a debate. It’s a troll job.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 1:21 pm
===Do you know that home plate is at the bottom of my stairs?===

It’s hard not to like the Mayor-Elect when he speaks from this personal passion.

I’m hopeful he can help bridge the gap of understanding between those of us in the city who deal with violence in our communities regularly, and have for years, and those of us who haven’t (or only rarely) dealt with it. Bridging these different experiences seems to be the Mayor-elect’s goal and it’s a difficult goal at that.

Comment by Hamilton Thursday, Apr 20, 23 @ 4:28 pm
= = = It illustrates the way Johnson argues about issues = = = . Maybe a philosphy major can tell me the name of the rhetorical device he is employing. = = =

“pivoting”

Comment by Anon III Friday, Apr 21, 23 @ 11:16 am