SHIFTS AT THE TOP

Kathryn Harris of Springfield was named director of the Illinois State Historical Library. She succeeds Janice Petterchak, who resigned to write biographies. Petterchak's most recent book is Jack Brickhouse: A Voice for All Seasons.

Nicholas Chambers of South Holland was named assistant director of the Illinois Department of Central Management Services. Prior to his appointment he was legislative liaison for the Department of Lottery.

Appointments

James W. Wallace of Bethalto was appointed to the Illinois State Advisory Council on the Education of Children with Disabilities. He is a retired teacher from Bethalto Community Unit 8 School District.

Ercel D. Davis of Moline was reappointed to the Illinois Community College Board. He is a partner at All Staff Inc.

Five members of the Internal Audit Advisory Board were reappointed by the governor. They are: C. William Coons of Springfield, chief internal auditor for the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation; Nancy J. Hilger of Springfield, chief internal auditor for the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs; John F. Schonover of Macomb, director of internal auditing for Western Illinois University; Richard 0. Traver of Champaign, executive director of the office of university audits for the University of Illinois; and Benedict R. Zemaitis of Chatham, chief internal auditor for the Department of Revenue.

HONORS

Eight Illinois high schools have been chosen as some of "America's Best Schools" in a national competition sponsored by Redbook magazine. Cited by a panel of education experts for "their varied and rigorous curriculums and unflagging pursuit of excellence," the schools include Adlai E. Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire; Homewood-Flossmoor High School, Flossmoor; Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Aurora; Lincoln-Way High School, New Lenox; Maine Township South High School, Park Ridge; Mundelein High School, Mundelein; New Trier Township High School, Winnetka; and Schaumburg High School, Schaumburg.

A total of 155 high schools are honored in two divisions: best school in each state and best schools in six special categories. The math and science academy was chosen "Best in the State." This is the third time the academy was chosen as one of the nation's best schools.

NEW WORKFORCE PREPARATION TASK FORCE TO TRACK CHANGES IN FEDERAL POLICIES

The push in Washington, D.C., to give more programs back to the states, and expected changes in education and workforce preparation policies have prompted another statewide task force. The 33-member Human Resource Investment Council will recommend policies for both federal and state programs on workforce preparation. It replaces the Illinois Job Training Coordinating Council. The members are:

M. Blouke Cams of Peru, chairman/CEO, Cams Corp.; Powhatan Collins of Matteson, Chicago Public Schools; Valerie Colvett of Chicago, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399; Harry L. Crisp II of Marion, chairman/CEO, Marion Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co., and chairman of the Illinois Community College Board; Robert J. English of Aurora, president, PMA Financial Network Inc.; Sharon A. Fisher-Larson of Elgin, Elgin Community College; Dennis J. Gannon of Orland Park, Chicago Federation of Labor; Ronald J. Gidwitz of Chicago, president/CEO, Helen Curtis Inc.; Willie F. Harris of Chicago, Service Employees Union Local 25; Ginnie Hartman of Mounds, Hartman Farms; John B. Hudson of Springfield, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 965; Dennis J. Keller of Hinsdale, chairman/CEO, DeVry Inc.; Anne Ladky of Chicago, executive director, Women Employed; Robert K. Luther of Charleston, president, Lake Land College; Barry MacLean of Mundelein, president, Maclean-Fogg Co.; Mercedes Mora of Chicago, paramedic, Chicago Fire Department; Barbara D. Oilschlager of Grayslake, Lake County Area Vocational System; Janet M. Payne of Westville, United Samaritans Medical Center; Roger E. Pelkey of Rockford, Fabricators and Manufacturers Association International; John D. Rico of Chicago, president/CEO, Rico Enterprises Inc.; Rogercarole Rogers of Flossmoor, staff director, McDonald's Corp.; Lola Blanche Shoup of Galesburg, director of job training, Carl Sandburg College; James M. Schultz of Wilmette, director of employee development, Walgreen Co.; Vincent J. Serritella of Lombard, director for planning, Motorola; Michael W. Skarr of Naperville, executive director, Naperville Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the State Board of Education; and R. Craig Whitlock of East Moline, superintendent, United Township High School District 30. Also serving are Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra, State Board of Education Superintendent Joseph Spagnolo, higher education directors Richard Wagner and Geraldine Evans, and agency directors Lynn Doherty, Dennis Whetstone and Robert Wright.

36 ¦ May 1996 Illinois Issues

East St. Louis school board removed
Judge Robert L. Craig is expected to rule whether an oversight panel appointed to straighten out finances of the East St. Louis school district has authority to remove the elected school board from office. The three-member panel took the unprecedented action in early April after the school board twice defied the panel's order not to renew the superintendent's contract. Board members and Superintendent Geraldine Jenkins challenged the constitutionality of the panel's authority.

"We are breaking new legal ground here," says Richard Mark, chairman of the oversight panel. Removing a school board from office hadn't happened in Illinois history, says Mark.

The state took over the troubled district in the fall of 1994. Under the panel's guidance, a projected $4 million deficit in the $72 million FY 1995 budget was turned to a $2 million surplus.

High-paid optometry college president resigns
Boyd B. Banwell resigned his post as president of the private Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago in early April. Last September, Gov. Jim Edgar stopped a $300,000 annual no-strings state grant to the private college. The tax-exempt institution had received a total of $1.05 million in such grants since 1991 with the help of Senate President James "Pate" Philip. At the time, The Associated Press reported that since 1990 Banwell had contributed more than $56,000 to a campaign fund controlled by Philip. Philip's wife Nancy is a member of the college's board.

Banwell was one of the highest paid college administrators in the nation. The AP reported the school's tax records showed that it paid Banwell $354,419 for the year ending June 30, 1994, plus $451,177 in expenses and $12,108 toward a retirement fund.

Rosty's endgame

Defiant to the end, former U.S. Rep. Dan Rostenkowski was sentenced in April to 17 months in prison and fined more than $100,000.

The former head of the House Ways and Means Committee admitted he had converted office funds to his own use for gifts such as china and furniture, and had put people on the congressional payroll who took care of his lawn, supervised the renovation of his home and helped in his family's business.

But after being rebuked by federal court Judge Norma Holloway Johnson, who told Rostenkowski, "You shamelessly abused your position," the 36-year congressman complained he'd been singled out for technical violations of the law.

"I would like to emphasize that I have pled guilty to the least serious charges," he said outside a Washington, D.C., courthouse.

He said he was the subject of an "unprecedented government investigation." The former congressman must serve at least 85 percent of his prison sentence under federal law. He is expected to be assigned to a prison camp in Oxford, Wis., for nonviolent, short-term offenders, or a minimum security federal prison in Duluth, Minn.

Rostenkowski's career as a power broker in Congress began to unravel when news reports in 1993 disclosed he had used public money for personal autos, gift purchases and ghost payrollers.

The ensuing 17-count federal indictment led to his being stripped of his 14-year post as chairman of the tax-law-writing House Ways and Means Committee, and his ultimate defeat by political novice Republican Michael Flanagan in the 1994 race for the 5th District seat.

During his tenure in Congress, Rostenkowski's ability to bring political pork home to Chicago and Illinois became legendary. Among the assistance that bore his political signature: $2 billion for Chicago's Deep Tunnel, $450 million for rehabilitation of the Kennedy Expressway and a tax on passengers flying in and out of Windy City airports that yields $90 million annually.

Chicago Sun-Times reporter Mark Brown — part of the newspaper's investigative team that broke several major stories about Rostenkowski's financial affairs — summed up the congressman's career in a December 1994 story for Illinois Issues: "This much seems clear: The man who could go down in Illinois history as one of its most crooked politicians also deserves recognition as one of its most accomplished."
- Jennifer Halperin

Illinois Issues May 1996 ¦ 37