 |
Home | Search | Browse | About IPO | Staff | Links |
|
Home | Search | Browse | About IPO | Staff | Links |
PEOPLE
Edited by Beverley Scobell
|
Senate approves U of I board of trustees appointments The state Senate unanimously approved Gov. Jim Edgar's appointment of Thomas Lament of Springfield, Susan Gravenhorst of Lake Bluff and Roger Plummer of Chicago to the board of trustees for the University of Illinois. Lament, a partner with Gordon & Glickson PC. and a Democrat, and Gravenhorst, secretary-treasurer of Gravenhorst & Associates Inc. and a Republican, were elected members whose terms expired at the end of the year. Plummer, president of Plummer & Associates Consulting and a Republican, is a new member replacing Gloria Jackson Bacon of Chicago, who did not wish to be considered for the appointment. Prior to legislation approved in 1995, the U of I trustees were elected. A court ruling earlier this year held that the governor could only make appointments for the statewide elected board as the terms of members expired. |
Clinton nominates Illinoisan to cabinet
President Bill Clinton tapped William M. Daley to be his next commerce secretary. Daley, a partner in the law firm of Mayer, Brown & Platt and a brother of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, chaired Clinton's 1992 campaign in Illinois. He was rumored to be under consideration for Clinton's first cabinet. Though not nominated then, Daley agreed to spearhead the president's drive to pass the North American Free Trade Agreement. Daley's appointment requires U.S. Senate confirmation and comes at a time when the department is under fire for allegations of favoritism to campaign contributors.
More ghost payroller indictments handed down
As part of a federal ghost payrolling probe, the wife of state Sen. Robert Molaro, a Chicago Democrat, has been charged with three counts of mail fraud and one count of defrauding a federally funded state program.
Barbara Molaro, 45, has been charged with receiving $39,300 over a six-year period for doing no work in a job with the state Senate staff, according to federal prosecutors. She is the 26th defendant charged as part of the federal probe, including Anthony C. Laurino, former 39th Ward alderman, and several of his family members (see Illinois Issues, July 1996, page 18). Twenty-four have been convicted.
Prosecutors charge she accepted $600 a month from the state between January 1986 and September 1991, but did no work for the state or state senators during that time. Her husband became a senator in 1993.
The indictment does not identify the state senators who recommended Molaro to then-Senate President Philip J. Rock for the contracts.
Law enforcement officials charged
A special grand jury charged seven DuPage County law enforcement officials with fabricating evidence in their prosecution of Rolando Cruz for the 1983 murder of 10-year-old Jeanine Nicarico. Three former DuPage County prosecutors and four sheriff's deputies were charged with conspiring to obstruct justice and with conspiracy to commit official misconduct.
The former prosecutors named were Robert K. Kilander, Patrick J. King Jr. and Thomas L. Knight. The sheriff's officials named were Dennis Kurzawa, Thomas Vosburgh, James Montesano and Robert Winkler.
The prosecutors relied on a so-called "vision statement" allegedly made by Cruz about the crime. Cruz spent a decade on Death Row for the murder, but was released last year after a judge dismissed the statement during his third trial in the case.
The 47-count indictment was announced by special prosecutor William J. Kunkle Jr.
Pension commission names temporary head
Robert Mandeville, budget director for former Gov. James R. Thompson, began a three-month job as interim acting director for the Pension Laws Commission. Created by the General Assembly's leadership last spring, the commission was formed to make recommendations on pension legislation. According to a spokesperson for Senate President James "Pate" Philip, Mandeville, who recently served as interim director for the State Universities Retirement System, will lay the groundwork for reviewing pension legislation that may come out of the upcoming legislative session. He will also help the commission find a permanent director.
Common Cause taps interim director
Doug Dobmeyer, former executive director of the Public Welfare Coalition, will serve as interim director of Illinois Common Cause. Tracy Litsey, executive director since 1992, has resigned.
During Litsey's tenure, Common Cause fought for the overhaul of the State Lobbyist Registration Act, comprehensive ethics reform in Cook County and reform of legislative scholarships.
The citizens group's agenda for the spring session of the legislature includes reforming campaign finance and state purchasing regulations and tightening conflict of interest and lobbying rules.
Illinois Issues January 1997 / 33
PEOPLE
Former governor recognized for
contributions to legal profession
Former Gov. James R. Thompson, who served from 1977 to 1991, received the 1996 American Jewish Committee's Judge Learned Hand Award. The award is presented to those in the legal profession "who symbolize the principles of learning and justice in the tradition of Judge Learned Hand" and who make a positive difference in the lives of the people of Chicago and the state. Considered one of the foremost jurists of this century, Hand served as a federal judge from 1909 to 1961.
In addition to his four terms as Illinois' chief executive, Thompson has compiled a legal career that includes service as a prosecutor in the Cook County state's attorney's office, as an associate professor at Northwestern University Law School (where he received his degree), as chief of the law enforcement and public protection department for the Illinois attorney general's office and as U.S. attorney for the Northern District. He has also co-authored several books on criminal law.
Chicago ballerina receives national
award for lifetime achievement
Maria Tallchief of Chicago, who was born on an Indian reservation in Oklahoma, received one of the 1996 Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts. Tallchief was prima ballerina of the New York City Ballet under the direction of choreographer George Balanchine and was guest artist of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. After retiring from dancing in 1965, she served as artistic director of the Chicago Lyric Opera Ballet. She was also founder and artistic director of the Chicago City Ballet.
|
Illinois researcher looking William Hess, a researcher at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, has been awarded a $156,000 contract from the National Cancer Institute to collect plant samples from the continental United States to be used for cancer and AIDS research. "People have been using plants for curative purposes since the beginning of time and yet plants are still an undeveloped resource," says Hess, a plant taxonomist with more than 35 years of field experience identifying plants. "The recent discovery of the cancer-fighting drug Taxol, which is derived from the Pacific Yew tree, has created a renewed interest in the potential medicinal properties of plants." Other medicines derived from plants include aspirin, quinine and the heart drug digitalis.
|
HONORS
DCFS director receives national award
Jess McDonald, director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, received the 1996 Award for Excellence in Public Child Welfare Administration from the National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators. The award is presented annually to recognize exemplary leadership by a state or local child welfare administrator for support and development of programs and policies that promote the well-being of children, youth and their families.
McDonald was named DCFS director in June 1994. Beginning his career as a social worker for the department, he served as acting director from 1990 to 1991. He was director of the Illinois Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities from 1992 to 1994.
34 / January 1997 Illinois Issues
APPOINTMENTS
Last month, Gov. Jim Edgar named the members of a new scaled-down State Board of Education. Legislation enacted last year allowed Edgar to overhaul the board and trim its size from 17 members to nine. His appointees, subject to Senate confirmation, are:
Lou Mervis of Danville, who will serve as chairman. Mervis is a business executive who served previously as a member and chairman of the board. He is president and chief executive officer of Mervis Industries, a recycling, steel fabrication and specialty products corporation.
Sharon Gist Gilliam of Chicago, former chief operating officer and budget director for the city and a current board member of the Chicago School Reform Board of Trustees.
Bill Hill of Charleston, who served 25 years as a superintendent of schools and has served on the state board since 1995.
Harry Litchfield of Coal Valley, a member of the current state board since 1993 and manager of training and development at Deere and Co.
Marilyn McConachie of Northbrook, who has spent 12 years as a member and president of a local school board.
Jim Palos of Chicago, a member of the current state board since 1993 and executive director of Midtown Educational Foundation.
Sandra Pelligrino of Peoria, a lawyer and former teacher who has served on the state board since 1995.
Connie Rogers of Buffalo Grove, who served for nearly two decades on a local school board and as a member of the Special Education District of Lake County.
Vince Seritella of Lombard, director of planning, quality and joint venture development for Motorola, who has served on education committees for major business organizations.
In November, Edgar made 122 appointments to other boards, including three members of the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Of those appointments 44, or 36 percent, were women.
Reappointed to the Board of Higher Education were Jerry D. Blakemore of Chicago, managing partner of Sales, Goodloe, Golden & Blakemore; Bruce S. Chelberg of Arlington Heights, CEO of Whitman Corp.; Edwin H. Moore of Lake Forest, president of Electric Metering Co.; and Jane T. Williamson of Kenilworth, school board member and former teacher.
Joby H. Berman of Kenilworth, president of T.Y. Lin International BASCOR Inc., was appointed to the Capital Development Board.
Debra A. Carey of Dixon, special projects coordinator for the Dixon Park District, and Richard T. Wren Jr. of Oak Lawn, vice president of International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 399, were appointed to the Advisory Board to the Department of Natural Resources. Reappointed to the board were Thomas P. Hester of Chicago, executive vice president and general counsel to Ameritech Corp.; Arthur L. Janura of Inverness, former general superintendent of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County; and Benjamin A. Shepherd of Makanda, vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost at Southern Illinois University.
Reappointed to the Board of the Illinois State Museum were Gerald W. Adelmann of Chicago, executive director and president of Openlands Project and Canal Corridor Association; James C. Ballowe of Toulon, professor at Bradley University; James A. Brown of Evanston, professor at Northwestern University; Lynn B. Foster of Highland Park, president of SSF Inc.-Cracker Jill; George M. Irwin of Quincy, retired; Mary Ann MacLean of Libertyville, owner of MacLean-Fogg Co.; Guerry L. Suggs of Springfield, senior vice president and chief trust officer at The First National Bank of Central Illinois; and P. Richard Ware of Jacksonville, CEO of Warelubco Inc.
|
Other appointments Carol Yates of Gurnee was appointed assistant to the lieutenant governor for human services to coordinate drug abuse initiatives in Illinois. Since 1990, Yates has developed community-based partnerships in Lake County, Decatur and Peoria aimed at fighting alcohol and substance abuse under the auspices of the national Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Pardoned Dennis Williams and Verneal Jimerson received pardons in November after the courts found them innocent of the crimes for which they were sent to prison. They were convicted of murder for two 1978 killings in Cook County. Williams, 39, was convicted of murder, rape and aggravated kidnapping in 1978 and served 18 years in prison, including more than nine years on death row. Jimerson, 44, was convicted of the murders in 1985 and served more than 10 years in prison, including more than nine years on death row. The implication of four other men and DNA testing established Williams' and Jimerson's innocence. Both were released from prison earlier this year. The pardon granted by Gov. Jim Edgar allows the two men to pursue compensation for false imprisonment with the Illinois Court of Claims. |
Illinois Issues January 1997 / 35
|
|
