Names

Facing layoffs and budget cuts, Suter resigns from DCFS

Sue Suter, director of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), announced August 5 that she will resign in mid-September. Her replacement will be the third department head since 1990. Suter is leaving as budget cuts force layoffs of 300 workers at the same time that DCFS is supposed to implement court-ordered reforms. "I think it is going to make reform very, very difficult. I was brought in to reform the agency, and I just won't do this," Suter said, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Gov. Jim Edgar praised Suter for her "advocacy for a more compassionate and effective response to abused and neglected children in our state." He also blamed the General Assembly for almost halving his request for a budget increase for DCFS. Edgar said he had made a commitment "to do the best job possible of managing that budget, and I will work closely with Director Suter's successor as we strive to meet that commitment."

Suter was named to head DCFS in 1991 after losing the 1990 race for state comptroller to Democrat Dawn Clark Netsch. Suter also served as director of the Department of Public Aid during a time of attempted reform of Project Chance (see "Filling the welfare gap," August-September 1989 Illinois Issues, pages 52-53). From 1984-88 she was director of the Department of Rehabilitation Services.

Lindley new director of Department on Aging

Former Sangamon County Clerk Maralee Lindley, 67, of Springfield is the new director of the Department on Aging. Her appointment by Gov. Edgar was effective August 5, pending Senate confirmation. The post has been vacant since Victor Wirth resigned December 31. Since then Nancy Nelson, deputy director, has served as acting director; she does not meet the statutory age requirement that the director be at least 55.

Lindley has been a member of the Illinois Council on Aging, which advises the department. County clerk since 1987, she resigned that post to accept the governor's appointment.

The Department on Aging administers state and federal funds for senior citizen programs through 13 area agencies on aging. It also investigates reports of elder abuse, serves as an ombudsman for residents of nursing homes and administers the Community Care Program, the state's initiative to keep people out of nursing homes. The latter took about $4 million in budget cuts in fiscal 1993, reducing services to 8,000 of its 27,000 clients and cutting 1,500 of the least impaired from the program. The department has a $170 million budget and 105 employees. Lindley will earn an annual salary of $59,233.

Meanwhile in Sangamon County, had Lindley's appointment been effective August 3 or earlier, the Republican-dominated county board would have had to call a special election to fill the county clerkship. The law requires a special election to replace officials with 28 months or more remaining in their terms. Lindley's successor as county clerk will be appointed by County Board Chairman Patrick A. Noonan with the approval of the board.

Illinois National Guard gets new Air Defense Artillery Battalion

Illinois was selected by the Pentagon to receive the new, federally funded, 655-person 2nd Battalion, 202nd Air Defense Artillery. Its mission is to provide air defense against low-altitude, hostile aircraft. It will be equipped with Stinger missiles, a shoulder-fired device with infrared homing. Tactical training for firing the system will be conducted at special ranges at Fort Bliss, Texas, and Camp Blanding, Fla.

Recruiting for the battalion began September 1, with full activation scheduled for September 1, 1993. The battalion will be headquartered in Chicago with subordinate units in Chicago, Homewood and Joliet.

Most of the 655 recruits will fill part-time positions. Many of them will come from the 750-person 2nd Battalion, 129th Infantry, which held final ceremonies in August and was deactivated September 1. Other members of the disbanded 129th Infantry will fill vacancies in the 131st Infantry, which will occupy armories formerly used by the 129th in Elgin, Joliet, Kankakee, Pontiac and Rock Island.

Triton College trustees dismiss Bakalis

Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Michael J. Bakalis of Elmwood Park was fired from his job as president of Triton College in River Grove by the public community college's board of trustees, effective July 8. The board had voted 4-3 for his dismissal the night before. Bakalis, who was state comptroller (1977-79) and state superintendent of schools (1971-75), was named to the post in October 1990. He had been at loggerheads with the board ever since the November 1990 elections gave it a Republican majority.

In April he received a "no confidence" vote from Triton's faculty. The college has a long record of tension between its board and administration. Bakalis's predecessor James Catanzaro was also fired. Serving as interim president is George T. Jorndt of Wheaton. Previously vice president of instructional programs, Jorndt was named interim president by the Triton Board of Trustees July 21 for a term not to exceed one year.

Bakalis said he is planning to sue Triton for breach of contract and said that the board is trying to establish a patronage base at the college. On August 7 the North Central Association's Commission on Institutions of Higher Education placed Triton College on probationary accredition to be reviewed again in 1993-94. At that time the college must show it can "insure the proper separation of authority and responsibility between the board and the administration, so that the college can continue to accomplish its purposes." The Illinois Community College Board, which coordinates all public community colleges, visited Triton July 15 and will consider a preliminary report September 18 to decide if the college should be put on conditional recognition status. A college on conditional recognition must correct its problems or face loss of recognition, making it ineligible for state funds until recognition is restored.

Dean Jeroulis, assistant director of public relations at Triton, said the college had no comment to make on news reports, except that it is confident it will keep its accreditation.

Paula Wolff named president of Governors State University

In 1976 Paula Wolff left Governors State University in University Park where she was a professor of public service to take a job as staff director of the Illinois Reorganization Task Force. On September 1 she returns to the campus as president. Appointed after a national search by the Board of Governors Universities at its June 18 meeting, Wolff replaced Leo Goodman-Malamuth II, who retired after 16 years, effective July 31.

From 1976-1990, Wolff was a key player on former Gov. James R. Thompson's staff, serving 14 years as his director of policy and planning (see "Paula Wolff: conscience of the Thompson administration," June 1990 Illinois Issues, pages 11-13). Most recently she was a visiting distinguished fellow at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and a lecturer in the Irving B. Harris School of Public Policy at the University of

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Chicago. She also had sought the chancellorship for the University of Illinois Chicago campus, but University of Illinois Trustees last year, with Gov. Jim Edgar voting, selected another candidate recommended by UI President Stanley O. Ikenberry.

O'Connor heads IDES' human resource management

Donna O'Connor Brooks of Flossmore was named head of human resource management for the Department of Employment Security by department director Loleta A. Didrickson, effective March 1. She replaced Gail Bradshaw, who was named executive director of the Human Rights Commission (see March 1991 Illinois Issues, page 27).

Well-grounded in private sector personnel management, O'Connor-Brooks formed her own consulting firm in 1989. She has worked for Costello, Erdlen & Co., a human resource consulting firm (1986-89); Stauffer Chemical Co., as personnel manager (1980-86); and Ford Motor Co., as a labor relations representative (1977-80).

Pettit named president of Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Former Southern Illinois University Chancellor Lawrence K. Pettit was named president of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, effective August 1, by its Council of Trustees. With over 14,000 students, the university is the fifth largest in Pennsylvania and the largest in the state system. Pettit served as SIU chancellor from July 1, 1986, to September 1, 1991. He was also distinguished service professor at SIU. Most recently he was a senior fellow with the American Council on Education.

Rovner nominated to U.S. Court of Appeals

U.S. District Judge Ilana Rovner, 53, of Chicago was nominated to the 7th District U.S. Court of Appeals by President George Bush on July 2. The U.S. Senate confirmed her nomination August 12, following hearings held earlier. Rovner, whose decisions as federal judge were seldom reversed, is the first woman to serve in the 7th District, which includes Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.

Born in Latvia, Rovner came to the United States in 1939 when her family fled the Nazis after the outbreak of World War II. She served as deputy governor during former Gov. James R. Thompson's administration. In 1984 President Ronald Reagan named Rovner to the U.S. District Court, Northern District. She was the second woman to serve there (the first was Susan Getzendanner, appointed by President Jimmy Carter).

Illinois Judiciary

The Illinois Supreme Court announced the following appointments and assignments.

Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board

6th Judicial Circuit Judge Harold L. Jensen of Champaign, effective May 29, for a term expiring July 22, 1996. The Judicial Inquiry Board investigates allegations of misconduct by judges or associate judges, receives or initiates complaints, and files and prosecutes complaints against judges with the Illinois Courts Commission.

Board of Trustees of Judges Retirement System

Cook County Circuit Judge Thomas E.

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Hoffman of Chicago, reappointed June 25. The board administers the retirement system for justices of the Supreme Court and judges of the appellate and circuit courts.

Executive Committee of Illinois Judicial Conference

Cook County Circuit Judge William D. Maddux of Chicago, appointed to replace Judge Joseph Schneider, effective June 25. Schnedier resigned from judicial office March 15. The committee assists the Supreme Court in its annual judicial conference, mandated by the Illinois Constitution. Its report is submitted to the General Assembly by January 31.

Supreme Court Rules Committee

1st District Appellate Judge Dom J. Rizzi and Cook County Circuit Judge Ellis E. Reid, presiding judge of Municipal District 1, both of Chicago, reappointed June 25. (Reid was also named to the Special Committee on the Administration of Justice; see below.) The rules committee recommends changes to Supreme Court rules.

Illinois Pattern Jury Instructions for Criminal Cases

4th District Appellate Judge Robert J. Steigmann of Urbana appointed chairman, and Cook County Associate Judge Bertina E. Lampkin of Chicago appointed member of the committee, both effective June 25. They replaced the late James Haddad, professor of law at Northwestern University, who had served as chairman. The committee, generally called the IPI Criminal Committee, makes recommendations for changes in the pattern instructions given by judges to juries in criminal trials.

Appellate Court Administrative Committee

1st District Appellate Judges Daniel J. McNamara and Anthony Scariano, both of Chicago, and 5th District Appellate Judge Moses W. Harrison of Granite City, reappointed June 25. The committee studies the handling and processes of appeals and makes recommendations to the Supreme Court.

Special Commission on Administration of Justice

Cook County Presiding Circuit Judge Ellis Reid of Chicago appointed to the commission June 25. He replaced Judge Richard Curry, who resigned. The 50-member commission was named in January to study ways to prevent corruption and to improve operations of the state's court system.

According to the June 5 Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, Curry's resignation stemmed from a disagreement with Commission Chairman Jerold S. Solovy. Curry said Solovy's representation of a client in a case before the Supreme Court involving caseload management practices in the Chancery Division constituted a conflict of interest. Solovy said serving on the commission does not preclude practicing law and that he had served for many years on another Supreme Court committee.

Cook County Circuit

Circuit Judge Myron T. Gomberg of Glenview resigned, effective July 5. Gomberg had been a judicial officer since 1972 and served on the Illinois Judicial Conference as a faculty member for numerous seminars. He is an expert in Illinois civil procedure.

Circuit Judges Louis J. Giliberto of Chicago and Charles J. Grupp of Chicago Heights will retire when their terms expire December 7. Gilibreto has been a judicial officer since 1964, Grupp since 1974.

Associate Judge Paul T. Foxgrover of Chicago retired June 17. He had been a judicial officer since 1984.

1st Circuit

Circuit Judge Thomas W. Haney of Marion will retire when his term expires December 7. He is a member of the Illinois Judicial Conference and currently serves on the conference's Study Committee on Juvenile Justice. He has been a judicial officer since 1976.

4th Circuit

Patrick J. Hitpas of Breese, an attorney in private practive, was named circuit judge of the 4th Judicial Circuit, effective August 17, to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Arthur Henken, effective August 1.

18th Circuit

Paul Nolan of Glen Ellyn appointed associate judge by the circuit judges July 21. He had been an attorney in private practice.

Associate Judge Robert A. Cox of Wheaton will retire September 30. He has been a judicial officer since 1976.

Associate Judge Francis W. Faris of Wheaton will retire September 1. He has been an associate judge since 1985. 20th Circuit

Alexis D. Otis-Lewis of Belleville appointed an associate judge by the circuit judges July 10. She had been an attorney in private practice.

Task Force on Water Resources and Land Use Priorities

Conflicts over water and land use are increasing in Illinois and tend to involve state agencies serving different constituencies. To seek ways to resolve these conflicts, Gov. Jim Edgar created the Task Force on Water Resources and Land Use Priorities on May 18. Members include farmers, conservationists, developers and environmentalists. The task force will report to the governor by December 31, recommending legislative action; changes in administrative procedures, structures and policies; and ways to develop public/private partnerships to resolve water and land use conflicts.

At its first meeting June 18, members came up with 50 issues where conflict is common. These included wetlands, farmland preservation, open space preservation, in-stream river flow, siltation in rivers, sustainable agriculture, water quantity and quality, water rights, recreational supply and demand, eminent domain, user fees, license fees, tax policies and funding policies for land and water protection. "I am amazed at the energy this group has," said Brian D. Anderson, director of the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission and the task force's chief staff person.

He said the task force will be divided into four committees, each with a chairperson. Each committee will develop background information, talk with its constituencies and produce reports discussing alternative solutions to water and land use problems. On issues where consensus is reached, the committee will make specific recommendations.

Cochairing the task force are Brent Manning, director of the Department of Conservation, and Becky Doyle, director of the Department of Agriculture. Other state agencies represented include the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy and Natural Resources and the Department of Transportation's division of water resources.

Other members include: Dale Aupperle, 41, of Gridley, senior vice president, Magna Trust Company, and past national president, American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers; Lynne Austin, 39, of Winfield, senior vice president, R.A. Faganel Builders, a residential construction and land development company; Judy Beck, 50, of Glenview, president of the Illinois Conservation, Parks and Recreation Foundation, vice president of the Illinois Association of Park Districts and past president, Glenview Park District; J.R. Black, 52, of Kankakee, president. Northern Illinois Angler's Association, which focuses on sport fishing and the protection of aquatic resources; Debbie Burris, 37, of Arenzville, a steward with the Illinois Nature Conservancy's Volunteer Stewardship Network and active in farm issues; Bill Bryan, 45, of Normal, elementary school teacher, past president of the state council of Pheasants Forever and founding director, Illinois Federation of Outdoor Resources; John M. Clark Jr., 59, of Urbana, professor of Biochemistry at the University of Illinois, founder of the Illinois Waterfowlers Alliance and Ducks Unlimited in Champaign-Urbana and member, Lake Shelbyville Waterfowlers Association; Susan M. Connor, 44, of Evanston, profes-

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Larry Eckert, 48, of Belleville, president of Eckert Inc. and Country Produce Inc. and former president, Illinois Apple and Peach Marketing Board and St. Louis AgriBusiness Club; Guy Fraker, 54, of Bloomington, partner with Costigan and Wollrab law firm, member of the Illinois Chapter of the Nature Conservancy's Board of Trustees and secretary and board member, Park-Lands Foundation; Steve Hammer, 46, of Oregon, farmer and past president. Ogle County Pheasants Forever; Jack Huggins, 49, of East Peoria, president and chief executive officer, Pekin Energy Company, and director. Heartland Water Resources Council.

Jack Nawrot, 41, of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Cooperative Wildlife Research Lab, specializing in wetland reclamation and restoration; Joyce O'Keefe, 53, of Highland Park, member, Highland Park City Council, and coordinator, Openland Project's trails and greenways program; Robert C. Penn, 46, of Chicago, general superintendent, Chicago Park District; Brian Petrucci, 33, of DeKalb, director, sustainable agriculture for American Farmland Trust, and active in farmland protection; Donna Prevedell, 47, of Gillespie, farm journalist, president of Prevedell and Associates and of the Illinois Agriculture Leadership Associates and member, University of Illinois College of Agriculture-International Ag Advisory Committee; Rudy Rice, 43, of DuQuoin, farmer and president. Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts; Glen Sanderson, 69, of Champaign, principal scientist emeritus, Illinois Natural History Survey, and former head. Center for Wildlife Ecology; Richard Semonin, 62, of Champaign, chief emeritus of the State Water Survey; Randy Sprague, 36, of Hull, grain and livestock farmer and past president. Pike County Farm Bureau; Don Swensson, 56, of Moline, retired from John Deere Corporation and president, Quad City Conservation Alliance Inc.; Kurt Wandrey, 48, of Schaumburg, executive vice president for land development, Town and Country Homes, and member, Illinois Home Builders of Greater Chicago, serving on its subcommittee for Fair and Equitable Taxation; Julie Ward, 34, of Springfield, assistant director for governmental affairs, Illinois Association of Realtors and member of its Land Use and Environment Subcommittee and of the Task Force on Land/Cash Donations; and French Wetmore, 45, of Park Forest, private consultant to municipalities, states and the federal government on floodplain and stormwater management.

Firearm Owners Regulation Study Committee

The nine-member Firearm Owners Regulation Committee was created in 1991 by P.A. 87-299, which also amended the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act to create a new "dial-up system." Under the act, effective January 1, 1992, federally licensed gun dealers must dial a State Police telephone number to get information on customers who want to purchase a firearm. The State Police, using an automated search of its criminal history record information files, those of the FBI and the Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, must speedily determine and notify the gun dealer of a felony conviction or of hospitalization information that would disqualify a person from buying a firearm. There is a $2 fee for this service. These provisions are scheduled to sunset September 1,1994.

The committee, with its membership tightly outlined by statute, will recommend whether the system should be continued. Its interim report to the General Assembly is due December 31, 1992, and its final report a year later.

Chairing the committee is State Police Director Terrance W. Gainer of Springfield. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley's representative is LaCoulton Walls of Chicago, an assistant to the mayor. Public members appointed by the governor are Logan County State's Atty. John Turner of Atlanta; Richard Gardiner of Washington, D.C., an attorney with the National Rifle Association of America; and Barbara Zehnder of LaGrange, executive director, Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence.

Legislative members representing the leadership are Sen. William A. Marovitz CD-6, Chicago), Sen. John A. Davidson (R-50, Springfield), Rep. Miguel A. Santiago (D-3, Chicago) and Rep. Timothy V. (Tim) Johnson (R-104, Urbana).

The governor made the appointments effective April 24; terms expire September 1, 1994.

Persian Gulf War Memorial Committee

The eight-member Persian Gulf War Memorial Committee was created by House Joint Resolution 64, adopted June 30, 1991. Its task is finding a design for a memorial to the 14 Illinoisans who gave their lives in the Gulf War and to commemorate all those who served. Private donations will build the memorial.

The original deadline for making recommendations to the General Assembly was April 1, 1992, but committee appointments were not completed by then. Committee members will meet in September and hope to have recommendations for a site and a design for the memorial in time for the 1993 spring session of the General Assembly, according to Robert F. Foster of Girard, deputy director of the Department of Veterans Affairs and facilitator for the committee.

The committee's four legislative members, one each appointed by the four leaders, are Sens. Sam Vadalabene (D-56, Edwardsville), effective January 9, 1992, and James "Pate" Philip (R-23, Wood Dale), effective November 19,1991; and Reps. Ben Martinez (D-20, Chicago), effective September 16, 1991, and Robert F. Olson (R-90, Broadwell), effective July 31, 1992.

The four public members appointed by the governor are required to be veterans of Operation Desert Storm, and at least two must be members of the Illinois National Guard called up for active duty in the Persian Gulf Conflict. These members, appointed by the governor on April 24, are Maj. Jeffrey Pedroley of Mechanicsburg, a fulltime U.S. Army officer with the 92nd Medical Battalion in Springfield; Lt. Col. Paul McKay of Roselle, a pilot with American Airlines and a member of the Illinois National Guard in Chicago; Capt. Kevin Keen of Springfield, a patrolman with the Springfield Police Department and member of the Illinois National Guard in Springfield; and Lt. Col. Ronald Carmen of Vernon Hills, self-employed and a member of the U.S. Army Reserve at Fort Sheridan (who will be replaced since he has moved out of state). Terms and reimbursement for members were not specified.

Illinois state buildings renamed for Hewlett, Thompson

Two state buildings now have new names. The classical Illinois Centennial Building just south of the Capitol in Springfield is now the Michael J. Hewlett Building, honoring the man who modernized the offices of state auditor (1961-73) and secretary of state (1973-77). The avant-garde State of Illinois Center in Chicago across from the Bismarck Hotel at 100 West Randolph Street is now the James R. Thompson Building, honoring the achievements of Illinois' longest serving governor, 1977-90. (Some would suggest that putting former Gov. Thompson's name on the discommodious State of Illinois Center is less a matter of bestowing honor than of fixing blame.)

The cornerstone of the Centennial Building was laid in 1918 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Illinois' entrance into the union as the 21st state. The building was completed in 1923 at a cost of $3 million. It

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houses the state's collection of historical regimental flags and several departments of the Secretary of State's Office. Completed in 1985 at a cost of $172 million, the State of Illinois Center houses the Chicago offices of many state agencies and constitutional officers.

Senate Joint Resolution 181, renaming the two buildings, was adopted in the Senate and concurred in by the House on June 30. The resolution states, "Both of these men deserve to have their achievements recalled by future generations, as they are honored by us today."

DeAngelis appointed to Illinois International Port District Board

Anthony DeAngelis, 28, of Flossmoor was appointed by the governor to the Illinois International Port District Board, effective May 29, for a term ending June 1, 1995. He is vice president and project manager of Dev-Tonics Inc. in Orland Park. He replaced Robert Hamilton.

The board was formed in 1955 to administer public facilities along the Chicago waterfront. It is the governing, administrative and policymaking body of the Illinois International Port District, which encompasses Chicago's corporate limits. It develops and regulates the district's facilities and establishes and operates foreign trade zones. Currently the district operates two facilities, one 170-acre facility on the Calumet River and one 1,200-acre facility on Lake Calumet.

Of the board's nine members four are appointed by the governor and five by the Chicago mayor; all require Senate confirmation. There was one vacancy in mid-August. The position pays $20,000 per year plus expenses.

Medical Disciplinary Board

Gov. Edgar appointed two new members to the Illinois State Medical Disciplinary Board, effective May 29 for terms expiring January 11, 1996: P.S.B. Sarma, 50, of Wilmette, an associate professor of psychiatry at the Chicago Medical School in North Chicago; and Kathryn Rosypal, 42, of Chicago, executive director of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America's newspaper, Narod Polski. Previously Sarma was assistant director of child and adolescent services at the Chicago-Read Mental Health Center in Chicago. He replaced Joseph Perez on the board; Rosypal replaced Susan Enlow.

The board investigates complaints against Illinois physicians and conducts hearings on violations of the Medical Practices Act. It may recommend probation, suspension or revocation of a license. The board consists of five Illinois licensed physicians, one Illinois licensed osteopath, one Illinois licensed chiropractor and two nonvoting members who are not providers of health care. Each receives per diem plus expenses. All members are appointed by the governor.

Public administrators and public guardians

The governor named two public administrators and public guardians effective in April. Barbara Carlson, 46, of Elburn, an accounts payable clerk with Monitor Manufacturing, Elburn, is the new public administrator and public guardian of Kane County, replacing Henry Banser. Robert Schultz, 72, an attorney in Walnut, was reappointed public administrator and public guardian of Bureau County. The positions pay expenses only and require Senate confirmation. Both were effective April 24 for terms expiring December 6, 1993.

Public guardians are appointed for disabled adults needing guardianship services to monitor their care and administer their estates. Real and personal property in Illinois, owned by a person who dies without designating an administrator of the estate, is protected by a public administrator. Each county must have a public administrator and a public guardian. The governor appoints all public administrators and all but one of the guardians; in Cook County the public guardian is appointed by the chief judge of the circuit court and must be a licensed attorney.

National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws

The governor named Harry Haynesworth IV of Carbondale to the nine-member National Conference of Commissioners on State Laws, effective April 24, for a term ending January 8, 1993. Haynesworth is dean and professor of law at Southern Illinois University Law School in Carbondale. He is filling the unexpired term of Harry Reese.

The 100-year-old conference promotes uniformity of specific legislation in all states. Illinois has passed some 80 uniform laws recommended by the conference. An example is the Uniform Commercial Code used by all the states except Louisiana. The

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Legislative Reference Bureau supervises Illinois' participation and reports annually to the governor and the General Assembly. Five members are appointed by the governor and one each by the legislative leaders. Terms are for four years; expenses only are paid. (Because of budget cuts, the state didn't pay expenses for Illinois commissioners attending the conference's July 1992 meeting.)

DCFS creates Youth Ward Advisory Board

The Department of Children and Family Services created a 25-member Youth Ward Advisory Board in June. Composed of current and former wards from around the state, board members will advise DCFS staff on how to serve the more than 28,000 children in state care. Specifically, the board will review DCFS programs and recommend changes to help the department meet the requirements of the federal B.H. consent decree. The decree resulted from a 1988 class action suit against the DCFS filed on behalf of wards of DCFS by the American Civil Liberties Union (B.H. are the initials of the first child named in the list of plaintiffs).

The court ordered the development of a handbook explaining the foster-care system, the difference between temporary custody and guardianship, termination of parental rights, the juvenile court process and other issues. The handbook is to be completed by July 1993 and distributed to parents, foster parents and children in care age 10 or older.

Also ordered by the court is implementation of a Comprehensive Competency Based Foster Parent Program to be developed by January 1993 and to include a training program for all prospective foster parents. The youth advisory board will give DCFS its views on what foster parents need to know and recommend additions to the Preparation for Adult Living program, which helps adolescents adjust to adulthood by helping them make decisions affecting their futures.

Bisharra Rent, 20, is one of the 25 board members, most of whom remain anonymous as wards or former wards. Youth board members were nominated and selected by regional administrators and serve one-year terms. Because many of the members are still in school, they meet on Saturday with DCFS staff on hand to assist them.

Commission to recommend reform of Illinois redistricting process

The next remapping of legislative districts won't occur until 2001, but Secy. of State George H. Ryan's bipartisan Redis-

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tricting Process Review Commission has already held two meetings to find an alternative to pulling a name out of a hat or a crystal bowl. Jim Edgar as secretary of state in 1981 pulled the name for that year's redistricting commission's tiebreaking member, a Democrat; Ryan as secretary of state in 1991 pulled the name of a Republican.

Explaining that the state deserves something better than this luck-of-the-draw method to redraw its legislative districts every 10 years, Ryan appointed a 29-member commission this spring. Members include elected officials, lobbyists and experts from government, business and academia. The commission will present its recommendations to Ryan, who will then present them to the governor and the General Assembly. Recommendations would require a constitutional amendment since the tie-breaking "lottery" provision is part of the Illinois Constitution (see Article 4, Section 3).

Ryan named former constitutional convention delegate Jeffrey R. Ladd. a Chicago attorney and head of Metra, as chairman of the commission. According to Ladd, "Consensus has been reached on how to proceed. The big issue is funding." The goal is to locate foundations for funding full-time staff knowledgable about redistricting, he said. The original goal of getting recommendations on the November 1994 ballot will be difficult to achieve because of delays in funding the commission, Ladd said, but the commission still has enough time to complete its task. The commission plans to hold statewide public hearings on the redistricting process and its problems. An expert staff would then develop alternatives, which would be presented in a second series of hearings. Final recommendations proposing change in the Constitution require ratification at a regular statewide election.

Besides Ladd, four other commission members were at the Sixth Illinois Constitutional Convention that drafted the state's current constitution: Ann Lousin of Chicago, professor of law at John Marshall Law School, former House parliamentarian and on the legal staff of the convention; House Speaker Michael J. Madigan (D-30, Chicago), a delegate to the convention; Joseph A. Tecson of Riverside, attorney with Chuhak and Tecson and a convention delegate; and Donald D. Zeglis of Momence, attorney and a convention delgate.

Members were appointed in April and March by Ryan and also include the three other legislative leaders: House Minority Leader Lee A. Daniels (R-46, Elmhurst); Senate Minority Leader James "Pate" Philip (R-23, Wood Dale); and Senate President

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Philip J. Rock (D-8, Oak Park). Also appointed were two former Illinois Supreme Court justices: Howard C. Ryan of Tonica, attorney at Peterson & Ross; and Daniel P. Ward of Westchester, attorney at Bell, Boyd and Lloyd.

Other members are Joseph Berrios of Chicago, commissioner. Cook County Board of Appeals, and former state representative (D-9, Chicago) from 1983-89; Ertharin Cousin of Chicago, attorney and state director, AT&T, Chicago; John Dailey of Peoria, president, Community Bank of Greater Peoria, and former member, Illinois State Board of Elections; Samuel K. Gove of Urbana, director emeritus and professor emeritus, Institute of Government and Public Affairs, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Paul M. Green of Flossmoor, director. Institute for Public Policy and Administration, Governors State University, University Park: John S. Jackson of Carbondale, dean. College of Liberal Arts, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale; John Kornaki of Pekin, executive director, Everett Dirksen Congressional Leadership Research Center; Michael E. Lavelle of Oak Park, attorney at Lavelle, Holden and Juneau, Ltd., and former director, Chicago Board of Elections; Tracey Litsey of Chicago, executive director, Illinois Common Cause; Pam McDonough of Springfield, executive assistant. Capital Development Board, and former House Republican chief of staff; James D. Nowlan of Springfield, president. Taxpayers' Federation of Illinois; Sylvia Puente of Chicago, director of research and documentation. Latino Institute, Chicago; David Reed of Chicago, president, Harold Washington Party; Dennis A. Rendleman of Springfield, general counsel, Illinois State Bar Association; Eleanor Revelle of Chicago, president, Illinois League of Women Voters; Gerald W. Shea of BunRidge, lobbyist and former state representative (D-7) 1967-77; Zack Stamp of Springfield, attorney, Peterson and Ross, and former Gov. James R. Thompson's director of legislation; Jack R. Van Der Slik of Springfield, director, Illinois Legislative Studies Center, Sangamon State University, Springfield; and Ed Webb of Chicago, partner, Gardner, Carton and Douglas law firm, and former House parliamentarian.

Illinois Council on Voluntary Action

Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra announced appointments to the new Illinois Council on Voluntary Action, effective May 21. With its focus on youth volunteerism, the council will advise the Lieutenant Governor's Office of Volunteer and Senior Action, which got a federal grant of $866,928 in June. The council first met in April and plans to meet quarterly. It is reviewing applications for sub-grants throughout the state and making recommendations to the lieutenant governor.

Council members from Chicago are Mary Appelt, volunteer operations manager, Chicago Cities in Schools; William L. Braden, chief executive officer, American Red Cross Mid-America; Suzanne Davis, volunteer services coordinator, Illinois Department of Rehabilitation Services; Christopher A. DeAngelis, consultant, KPMG Peat Marwick; Patricia Deinhart, president, The Volunteer Network; Carmelita Gallo, senior vice president for administration and development, YMCA; the Rev. Paul L. Golden, associate vice president for public service, DePaul University; John Mason, director, Volunteer Center of the United Way/Crusade of Mercy; Fred O'Connor, office of the chairman staff, Aon Corporation; Helen Shumate, director of external affairs, Illinois Bell; Susan Stoga, manager of corporate public relations, Hyatt Hotels Corporation; and Robert Stuart, chairman emeritus. National Can Corporation.

Members from the suburban area are Richard V. Chierico, director, community education and services, Township District 214 of Arlington Heights; John Dyson, executive director, Family Reunification Services, Kankakee; Sandra Henry, volunteer. North-field; and Suzanne Schwartz, president/director, Volunteer Services of Skokie Valley.

Members from downstate include three from Springfield: Jan Grayson, director. Department of Commerce and Community Affairs; Al Ramirez, executive deputy superintendent, Illinois State Board of Education; and Donald Tebbe, chief executive officer, Council of Illinois Non-Profit Organizations. Others from downstate are Jane Angelis, director, Illinois Intergenerational Initiative, Carbondale; Alana Kirk, principal, Coppenbarger Elementary School, Decatur; Stanley R. Levy, vice chancellor for student affairs, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Donald Uchtmann, director. Cooperative Extension Service, also at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

McDonald elected president of NCJA

Barbara McDonald of Chicago, deputy executive director of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, is the first woman president of the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA). She leads the 1,200-member association headquartered in Washington, D.C. The NCJA provides staff support to the National Governors' Association and represents the states on crime control and public safety issues before Congress.

A member of the NCJA's board of directors since 1988, McDonald was elected vice president in May 1991. When the president stepped down in December, she took over and was elected president to a full term in May. In Illinois state government, she formerly served as administrator of federal assistance programs for the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.

Will receives Devitt award

Senior U.S. District Judge Hubert L. Will of the Northern District of Illinois, received the 10th Annual Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award. Created to recognize outstanding federal judges, the $15,000 award was presented May 6 at the Standard Club in Chicago. Will, 78, of Chicago was honored for his case management techniques, his efforts to establish higher levels of performance by trial lawyers and his dedication to justice as a "judge's judge."

Receiving his J.D. from the University of Chicago in 1937, Will moved to Washington, D.C., where he held positions in many areas of the federal government, including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Senate and the Department of Justice. During World War II he was chief of the Counter Espionage Branch of the European Theater of Operations, Office of Strategic Services, where he attained the rank of captain and was awarded the Bronze Star.

Returning to private practice in Chicago, he was appointed U.S. district judge for the Northern District of Illinois in 1961 and took senior judge status in 1979. Among his achievements were drafting the first standard habeas corpus forms for state and federal prisoners to file petitions in federal court, advocating bifurcated trials (such as a determination of guilt in a criminal trial followed by sentencing), improving bankruptcy standards, easing court backlogs and working for an independent judiciary.

Will is the second Devitt Award recipient from the northern district (the first was U.S. District Judge William J. Campbell in 1985). Members of the selection committee were U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, Judge William J. Holloway of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals and Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Devitt of St. Paul, Minn. Devitt, for whom the award is named, died March 2.

Staff contributors include Margaret S. Knoepfle and Kirk Hendricks.

62/August & September 1992/ Illinois Issues