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* From a WBEZ story entitled “Who’s in Brandon Johnson’s cabinet?”…
And it took 10 months to permanently fill the director of communications, an important position as the mayor made his first impressions as a leader. Reese, Johnson’s longtime confidant and former Chicago Teachers Union spokesperson, formally filled the role last month.
Reese was the de facto communications leader for the past year even as the administration interviewed others for the top job.
A candidate who says he interviewed for the communications director role as the position sat unfilled — and asked their name not be used because of fear of retaliation — said they were strung along for eight months. Despite interviewing for the role and receiving a verbal offer for a different position within the press office, the candidate’s start date was repeatedly delayed. The candidate said they were ultimately told they had too much “baggage” because of formerly working for Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. Ultimately, the candidate described the process as “frustrating, unprofessional and kind of chaotic.”
Pacione-Zayas declined to comment on the hiring process and whether candidates weren’t considered because of affiliations with Pritzker.
“It’s more about alignment than who you worked for, who you didn’t work for,” Pacione-Zayas said.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, May 22, 24 @ 3:56 pm
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From the article:
‘it’s pretty amazing that we’ve kept government running,” Pacione-Zayas said’
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen people publicly congratulate themselves for keeping their own chairs warm.
Mucho thanks to everyone in the Johnson administration for the victory in their apparently tremendous struggle not to drive Chicago into a ditch within the first year.
Comment by Larry Bowa Jr. Wednesday, May 22, 24 @ 4:20 pm
Unknown candidate missed out on a great opportunity. /s
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Wednesday, May 22, 24 @ 4:27 pm
It isn’t that hard to piece together who it is. There hasn’t been that many people who have left the governor’s communications shop. I hope he recognizes they dodged a massive bullet.
Comment by Good Civilian Wednesday, May 22, 24 @ 4:36 pm
I’ve heard similar stories for the last year, especially for this position. What’s sad is that Reese blocked other hires repeatedly and they kept the job open. So eventually his blocking paid off and he got the job. But they’re all reallllllllllllly bad at this so I wouldn’t expect he’ll last too long in the job.
As for this line?
“It’s more about alignment than who you worked for, who you didn’t work for,”
So their defense is that it’s not about JB but about ideological purity. Amazing.
Comment by New Day Wednesday, May 22, 24 @ 4:36 pm
This is a huge non story. Ask Jb’s inner circle how open minded they are to hiring someone who, despite ample talent, helped different 2018 primary candidates. Pettiness is painted across hiring. That is usually unwise and detrimental because governing is uniting best talent while campaigns are polarizing.. Which means the johnson squad should hire talent — regardless of past campaigns. Sometimes young people chose campaigns because they need work at the time. It shouldn’t be a lifetime label. Having said that - Team Johnson had better do better with bringing on experienced staff. Grab folks who worked for Rahm and Daley.
Comment by Ha Ha Wednesday, May 22, 24 @ 4:40 pm
8 months is nothing compared to how the Pritzker Administration is handling hiring.
Comment by Candy Dogood Wednesday, May 22, 24 @ 5:01 pm
I will wager the number of people who got jobs because they worked for JB dramatically outweighs the number of people who did not get jobs because they used to work for JB.
If someone wants to leave JB’s staff, but his COS isn’t recommending them, it’s a warning sign.
Either Pritzker does not want them to go, and hiring them away could cause bad blood. Or they are so bad at their job, JB won’t even recommend them just to get rid of them.
Comment by Thomas Paine Wednesday, May 22, 24 @ 5:04 pm
=== 8 months is nothing compared to how the Pritzker Administration is handling hiring.===
I was just thinking that would have been light speed for Quinn or Blago.
Comment by Thomas Paine Wednesday, May 22, 24 @ 5:05 pm
I’m not sure what Candy is ever talking about with the broken record on state hiring. State agencies are more hired up than they have ever been - my department is fully staffed and funded for the first time I can ever remember.
And here’s what I know about working in the Governor’s office - everyone I know who swirls around government wants a job there. And they are incredibly hard to come by because the people who work there tend to stay a long time. If I was the Mayor’s office I’d be jumping at the chance to get anyone who came out of Pritzker’s office.
Comment by Dakno Thing Wednesday, May 22, 24 @ 5:16 pm
Actually they did have a chief of staff who was formerly with the Daley or Emanuel admins and they quit recently. Is it that they don’t want them? Just like they don’t want someone who wants to work for Pritzker who’s doing a great job at governing, compared to Mr Johnson.
Comment by Levois Wednesday, May 22, 24 @ 5:22 pm
===my department is fully staffed and funded for the first time I can ever remember.===
Which one is that? There’s literally thousands of unfunded vacancies, hundreds of DCFS investigator vacancies, most of the prisons are at something close to half of their staff compliment.
===Ultimately, the candidate described the process as “frustrating, unprofessional and kind of chaotic.”===
This also isn’t unique to Chicago. This has been my experience with every administration, state and federal, unless you’re someone’s nephew, kid, or spouse.
The Pritzker Administration went the extra mile and defended not hiring people who applied to their administration by calling the thousands of interest folks unqualified and keeping the goons Rauner hired in place.
Comment by Candy Dogood Wednesday, May 22, 24 @ 5:30 pm
Pritzker did/does the exact same thing. Who cares.
Comment by ;) Wednesday, May 22, 24 @ 6:23 pm
===8 months is nothing compared===
We’re not talking about rank and file jobs here.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, May 22, 24 @ 6:39 pm
- The Pritzker Administration went the extra mile and defended not hiring people who applied to their administration by calling the thousands of interest folks unqualified and keeping the goons Rauner hired in place. -
Your constant complaining about this makes it very clear you have some major sour grapes over not getting a job you thought you were entitled to.
Comment by Excitable Boy Wednesday, May 22, 24 @ 6:59 pm
Reese Twitter comment from 2010 making the rounds tonight.
Comment by Jose Abreu's Next Homerun Wednesday, May 22, 24 @ 7:10 pm
===Ask Jb’s inner circle how open minded they are to hiring someone who, despite ample talent, helped different 2018 primary candidates===
That comparison doesn’t make a lick of sense. Pritzker didn’t run against Johnson.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, May 22, 24 @ 9:44 pm
===Your constant complaining about this makes it very clear you have some major sour grapes over not getting a job you thought you were entitled to.===
Pick an agency, any agency, and you will find employees in merit comp positions and senior leadership positions that lack appropriate qualifications for the position, or lacked or completely lack qualifications for the position when they were placed in that position.
The Pritzker Administration’s decision to keep people in positions that were hoisted into those positions by Bruce Rauner without regard for how their personal views, attitudes, or beliefs might impact their willingness or ability to implement the Governor’s vision for the state has had negative impacts on the effectiveness of the Governor’s administration.
If the Governor wants to have his agenda undermined by people who don’t respect him, openly mock him, and do not share his beliefs or values that’s a choice he can make without insulting the entire pool of applicants to his administration that never received serious consideration because they never attempted to fill most of the possible positions and certainly didn’t post or advertise for positions that they were seeking to fill.
If there was any attempt to recruit people to help him run the state, his administration lost interest in finishing that process pretty quickly.
The Governor’s choice to avoid cleaning house in 2019 has set the stage for a lack luster and disappointing performance on the national stage should he ever run for president. As we are wont to say, Governors own.
Comment by Candy Dogood Thursday, May 23, 24 @ 12:26 am
===We’re not talking about rank and file jobs here.===
I am not either, but I’ll concede to your observation because I am in a position where I can’t give specific anecdotes as examples.
Comment by Candy Dogood Thursday, May 23, 24 @ 12:31 am
- The Governor’s choice to avoid cleaning house in 2019 has set the stage for a lack luster and disappointing performance on the national stage should he ever run for president. -
Yes, I’m sure him not elevating you to the position you were ordained for is going to be a big factor in a very hypothetical presidential run. Get a grip.
Comment by Excitable Boy Thursday, May 23, 24 @ 5:38 am
===not elevating you===
Aside from an effort to insult me, this really doesn’t do anything to defend the Governor. Why not sing the virtues of these folks he left in charge at his agencies?
IDFPR is such a smashing success, right? Gold stars all around.
Comment by Candy Dogood Thursday, May 23, 24 @ 11:02 am
- IDFPR is such a smashing success, right? Gold stars all around. -
Every administration has problems, and JB has by far had less of them than any governor in my lifetime.
But my purpose wasn’t to defend Pritzker, but to point out your endless petty harping about his hiring practices is both annoying and obvious in its motivation. That clear it up for you?
Comment by Excitable Boy Thursday, May 23, 24 @ 12:26 pm