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Gov. Edgar creates job training task force

On May 4 Gov. Jim Edgar announced the creation of a 17-member task force designated to "streamline and bolster" state job training and employment programs. It will offer suggestions to implement initiatives that Edgar outlined in his State of the State address in April. One proposal would replace six employment and training oversight councils with a single Workplace Preparation Council. The heads of the existing councils are on the task force, and one is the chair: Barry L. MacLean of Libertyville, chairman of the Illinois Job Training Council and chief executive officer of MacLean-Fogg Company, Mundelein.

Other task force members who chair current job training programs or job training oversight programs are Phil Bradley of Springfield, chairman of the Job Opportunities Council (Project Chance) and director of the Department of Public Aid; Ronald J. Gidwitz of Chicago, chairman of the Governor's Task Force on Human Resource Development and president and chief executive officer of Helene Curtis Inc., Chicago; Ronald C. Morehead of Bloomington, chairman of the Illinois Council on Vocational Education, field representative for the AFL/CIO Manpower Assistance Program, Springfield, and training specialist, Illinois AFL/CIO Laborers Local No. 362, Bloomington; Alice E. Phillips of Wheaton, chair of the Prairie State 2000 Authority and director of government affairs for Chicago Title Insurance Companies, Wheaton; and Rosalyn D. Wesley of Barrington, chair of the Private Industry Council of Northern Cook County, Des Plaines, and manager of sector sourcing and development at Motorola Inc., Schaumburg.

The task force will also offer other job training advice, including transfer of adult education program administration from the State Board of Education to the Illinois Community College Board (see "Community Colleges put center stage in Gov. Edgar's plan to train future workers," Illinois Issues, June 1992).

Legislative task force members are Rep. William B. Black (R-105, Danville), representing House Minority Leader Lee A. Daniels (R-46, Elmhurst); Sen. Doris C. Karpiel (R-25, Carol Stream), representing Senate Minority Leader James "Pate" Philip (R-23, Wood Dale); Rep. Helen F. Satterthwaite (D-103, Urbana), representing House Speaker Michael J. Madigan (D-30, Chicago); and Sen. Penny L. Severns (D-51, Decatur), representing Senate President Philip J. Rock (D-8, Oak Park).

Other task force members are Harry L. Crisp II of Marion, chairman of the Illinois Community College Board and chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Marion Pepsi Cola Bottling Co.; Robert J. English of Aurora, member of the Illinois Board of Higher Education and president of PMA Financial Network Inc., Aurora; Mary Gonzalez Koenig of Chicago, director of the Mayor's Office of Employment and Training; Louis Mervis of Danville, chairman of the State Board of Education and president of Mervis Industries, Danville; Ron Perlman of Skokie, director of the Illinois Resource Center, Des Plaines; and Richard J. Walsh of Springfield, president of the Illinois AFL- CIO, Springfield.

Illinois Sports Facilities Authority

The new chairman of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority is Alexander R. Lerner, 45, of Glencoe, chief executive officer of the Illinois State Medical Society. Appointed chairman by Gov. Edgar, effective March 16, Lerner replaced Thomas A. Reynolds Jr. Lerner's appointment as chairman was approved, as required by law, by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.

Also named by the governor to the authority effective March 16 was Thomas Fitzgibbon, 55, of Des Plaines, chief executive officer of Combined Contract Services Inc., Chicago, and director of the Chicago Special Olympics. He replaced Perry Snyderman. Lerner and Fitzgibbon will serve terms expiring June 30, 1994. Their appointments require Senate confirmation; the positions pay expenses only.

The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority is closing the books on construction of the new Comiskey Stadium. The $137 million stadium opened in April 1991 and seats 44,177 people. Attendance during its first year was 2.9 million, easily exceeding the annual attendance threshold set by the General Assembly of 1.2 million and the average annual attendence during the last 10 years at old Comiskey Park of 1.5 million.

While the authority by law may determine the location, acquire land and contract for construction of any new sports facilitiy in the Chicago metropolitan area, it has no role in construction of the new Chicago stadium for the Bulls and the Blackhawks. It is a joint venture by Jerry Reinsdorf, owner of the Bulls, and William Wirtz, owner of the Blackhawks. Completion date has been set for September 1994.

A push to pass a $1.4 billion plan linking a covered stadium for the Chicago Bears with expansion of the McCormick Place convention center failed in the 1990 fall legislative session. In 1991 the McCormick Place expansion was passed minus the stadium. As of June 9, proposals for funding a Bears stadium had not come out of hibernation.

Besides its chair, the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority has three members appointed by the governor and three appointed by the mayor of Chicago.

Gebhardt assistant adjutant general for National Guard

Paul Gebhardt

Paul Gebhardt, 52, of Springfield was named assistant adjutant general for the Illinois National Guard by Gov. Edgar, effective June 15. Previously he was a brigade commander, headquartered in Chicago. A 31-year veteran of the Illinois Army National Guard, Gebhardt began his career as an enlisted soldier. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1963 and has served as director of logistics and batallion commander. He succeeded Maj. Gen. Donald Lynn, who was appointed adjutant general in November.

Doherty, Reed, Jones promoted at Department of Employment Security

Lynn Doherty

Three long-time employees of the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) were named to new posts by Director Loleta A. Didrickson. Lynn Doherty of Chicago was named deputy director for administration, effective April 1. Doherty worked her way up at IDES from home services specialist to director of government relations. Before joining IDES, she worked in the Department of Central Management Services, the Secretary of State's Office and the Department of Rehabilitation Services. She has been a teacher of blind and deaf students.

James E. Reed

James E. Reed of rural Centralia was named regional manager of IDES' southern Illinois region, effective March 6. He is responsible for overseeing 14 IDES offices in the region and replaced Jeff Lingley, who took early retirement



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in December. Joining IDES in 1975 as a claims adjudicator in the Centralia local office, Reed became employment security specialist in the southern regional office in 1978. In 1985 he was named manager of the Mount Vernon local office where he streamlined the processing of unemployment insurance claims and job service applications.

Hattie Jones

Hattie Jones, 45, of Chicago was named manager of IDES Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Office, effective February 13. She develops the department's annual affirmative action plan and investigates discrimination charges filed by employees and clients. She will also oversee IDES compliance with the new Americans with Disabilities Act. Formerly assistant mananger of the office, Jones succeeds Juliette Hurtz, who retired in December. Jones joined IDES in 1971 as a part-time unemployment insurance claims manager.

Illinois judiciary

The Illinois Supreme Court announced the following appointments and resignations:

18th Circuit

Appointed as associate judges by circuit judges: Peter J. Dockery of Roselle, Thomas C. Dudgeon of Glen Ellyn and Rodney W. Equi of Elmhurst, effective June 1. Dockery had been a circuit judge in the 18th Circuit, appointed by the circuit judges. He resigned, effective June 1, after losing his bid for election in the March primary. Dudgeon and Equi were both attorneys in private practice.

Resigned: Associate Judge Philip J.R. Equi of Wheaton, effective July 4. A judicial officer since 1977, he and Rodney Equi are second cousins.

Prisoner Review Board

Gov. Edgar appointed Barbara Hubbard, 43, of Collinsville to the 12-member Prisoner Review Board and reappointed William L. Harris, 68, of Marion and Rafael Nieves, 60, of Chicago, effective April 29 for terms expiring January 20, 1997. Senate confirmation is required. Members serve on a full-time basis and receive annual salaries of $47,137. Members must meet requirements for experience in correctional work and may not hold another salaried office.

Hubbard is a former correctional parole officer; she replaced DeLancey Moore. Harris, who has served on the board since 1990, was a charter member of the State Board of

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Continued from page 29

Elections and served two terms as Republican state representative from the former 59th District, 1977-1981. Nieves was originally appointed in 1973 to the board's predecessor, the Parole and Pardon Board, by Gov. Dan Walker (when determinant sentencing abolished the old parole system in 1978, the board got its present name and functions). Previously Nieves was a U.S. Peace Corps representative in Venezuela, Illinois representative for Region V of the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity and executive director of Mayor Richard J. Daley's Commission on Youth Welfare.

The Prisoner Review Board considers cases of prisoners eligible for parole, sets conditions for parole and mandatory supervised release; revokes good conduct credit and suspends or reduces the rate of accumulating it; and reviews recommendations for executive clemency.

Kaskaskia Regional Port District wants highway

Gov. Edgar reappointed six of the district's 15 members, effective April 29 for terms expiring June 30, 1994. The appointments require Senate confirmation; members are paid expenses only. The Kaskaskia Regional Port District, headquartered in Red Bud, includes all of Monroe and Randolph counties and part of St. Clair County.

The port district is promoting construction of a new highway, possibly a tollway, from metro St. Louis to Carbondale (via Randolph and Monroe counties) to entice light industry into the region. Business people in the area have also formed a group called SWIFT (Southwestern Illinois Freeway Transportation), which is seeking state and federal support.

Reappointed to the Kaskaskia Regional Port District were Edwin Cockrell, 32, of New Athens, a lease collection manager with Northwest Financial Leasing, Bridgeton, Mo., and a member of the Kaskaskia Industrial Development Corporation; Mascoutah City Councilman George Donner, 65, retired both as a state meat inspector and district manager for Ralston Purina, St. Louis; Robert Keller, 63, of Waterloo, retired general manager of Monroe Service Co., Waterloo; Elmer Prange, 71, of Waterloo, retired from the Secretary of State's Office as a regional manager for driver services; Norman Rieso, 63, of Freeburg, retired senior quality engineer for McDonnell Aircraft Co., St. Louis; Clyde Trexler, 39, of Columbia, production manager with Columbia Quarry and board member of the Mississippi Valley Society of Explosive Engineers.

Illinois Gaming Board

Named to the Illinois Gaming Board by the governor, effective March 4, were Robert Vickrey, 47, of Peru, vice president of sales and marketing for the LaSalle News-Tribune, and transportation chairman of the Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce, and Michael Zaransky, 37, of Glenview, president of Airways Rent A Car, Schiller Park, and chairman-elect of the Chicago Convention and Tourist Bureau. The positions pay $300 per diem plus expenses. Vickrey filled the unexpired term of Robert Gibson. Zaransky replaced Raymond Niepert to serve a term ending July 1, 1994.

The five-member board regulates riverboat gambling. As of June 9, there were three Illinois riverboats up and running: two on the Mississippi River — based in Alton and Rock Island — and one on the Illinois River based in Peoria. By the end of June two more were scheduled for opening: one on the Des Plaines River based in Joliet and the other on the Mississippi operating out of Galena in Jo Daviess County.

The Gaming Board licenses operators and gaming equipment suppliers. It may be assigned supervision of Las Vegas nights, bingo and pulltabs (also known as pull-jar tickets which you get from a jar and open up to find out what you've won); currently, however, these are under the jurisdiction of the Department of Revenue. The board must have a member with law enforcement and criminal investigation experience, an attorney and a certified public accountant. Members or their immediate families cannot have an interest in the gambling activities supervised by the Gaming Board or the Illinois Racing Board.

NIU Education Center ready for business

The new $6.2 million Northern Illinois University Education Center at Hoffman Estates will open for classes August 22. Part of Sears' 786-acre Prairie Stone development, the center is designed to serve the educational and cultural needs of people living along the I-90 corridor. Facilities at the new center will also be available for rental to business, government and other universities.

Sears and the village of Hoffman Estates donated the land for the center. Construction is financed by certificates of participation (similar to bonds) at a fixed price over a 25-year period. At the end of this period the center will be owned by the Board of Regents, NIU's governing board. The center is expected to be supported by income from tuition and fees, donations from corporations, rentals by other institutions and reallocation of funds NIU previously used to rent

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sites scattered throughout the area.

Kathleen A. Gilmer of Palatine was named center director by NIU President John La Tourette and vice presidents of academic affairs, development and university relations, and finance and planning; her appointment was confirmed by the Board of Regents May 21. She will be responsible for the center's management and marketing. Since 1984 Gilmer was a corporate services administrator and economic development specialist at William Rainey Harper College in Palatine, working with two public/private partnerships - Northwest 2001 and the Golden Corridor Council.

Chicago's police superintendent

Mayor Richard M. Daley named Matt L. Rodriguez, 56, of Chicago as police superintendent, effective May 20 (the day the tunnels flooded in Chicago's Loop). Rodriguez, the city's first Hispanic police superintendent, replaced LeRoy Martin, who retired. Rodriguez was one of three finalists recommended by the Chicago Police Board. A deputy police superintendent since 1980, Rodriguez had applied previously for the position and was a finalist in both 1983 and 1987.

Kurish director of finance research center

James B. Kurish of Chicago was named director of the Government Finance Research Center in Chicago by the Government Finance Officers Association, effective April 27. The association, headquartered in Chicago, represents more than 12,500 local, state and provincial government finance officers in the United States and Canada. The 25-member research center does original and applied research, consulting, contract and grant work for the association.

Most recently Kurish was an investment banker with the First Boston Corporation. Previously he was assistant dean and director of graduate studies at the University of Hartford in Hartford, Conn., and executive director of the university's Master of Business Administration Program in Paris, France.

Duff new president of Columbia College

John B. Duff

Former Chicago Public Library Commissioner John B. Duff, 60, of Chicago was named president of Columbia College of Chicago by its board of trustees effective September 1. He replaces Mike Alexandroff, who is retiring as president in August after 30 years. Duff was Chicago library commissioner for the last six years, and previously he was chancellor of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, president of the University of Lowell at Lowell, Mass., and president of Seton Hall University at South Orange, N.J.

Columbia College is an urban undergraduate and graduate institution emphasizing the arts, media and public information. The student body reflects the racial, economic and cultural diversity of the urban area it serves.

Nanophase Technologies awarded $1 million

Nanophase Technologies Corporation of Darien was the first Illinois firm to win a federal Advanced Technology Program award. Nanophase will receive approximately $1 million over three years to improve production and to study uses for ultra-fine or "nanophase" ceramic powders (an individual grain of one of these powders has a diameter of about 10 nanometers — ten-billionths of a meter or one-thousandth the diameter of a human hair). The award was one of 27 announced by U.S. Secy. of Commerce Barbara Hackman Franklin on April 21.

Advanced ceramic materials are extremely hard and resistant to heat and corrosion. Shapes made with traditional ceramic powders shrink during the firing process, allowing little control over final dimensions. The use of ultrafine powders minimizes shrinking and allows manufacturers to control the quality and final dimensions of ceramic parts. With its award, Nanophase plans to find ways to make larger quantities of the powders at a lower costs and to evaluate their characteristics and potential applications in diesel engine parts. Caterpillar Inc. of Peoria will do the evaluation.

Founded in 1989, Nanophase is one of a handful of firms pioneering the commercialization of a technology developed at a national laboratory under provisions of the 1984 amendments to the federal Bayh-Dole Act. The amendments allow the awarding of proprietary rights for technologies developed by national laboratories. Under the new law, the ARCH Development Corporation, a not-for-profit organization affiliated with the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory, was created. ARCH founded and supported Nanophase Technologies to transfer the ceramics technology developed at Argonne to the private sector.

The Advanced Technologies Program, with a fiscal 1992 budget of $67.9 million, helps businesses research and develop technologies with potential applications. The program is administered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department's Technology Administration.

SIU Professor Barton receives national award

H. Arnold Barton

H. Arnold Barton, 62, of Carbondale received one of 125 Ellis Island Medals of Honor at ceremonies in New York City in April. The awards are presented by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO) to individuals who make "significant contributions to our nation's heritage." Barton, a history professor at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, is a Swedish American whose greatgrandfather immigrated to the United States in 1867. He is the author of 11 books and numerous articles on Swedish and Scandinavian history.

NECO was established in 1984; its award memorializes the role that Ellis Island played from 1891 to 1954 when 20 million immigrants entered this country.

Mother Jones elected to Labor Hall of Fame

Once described as "the most dangerous woman in America," Mary Harris Jones (1830-1930) was elected to the Labor Hall of Fame in May by the Friends of the U.S. Department of Labor. Known as Mother Jones, she spent nearly 60 years organizing and advocating for working people and was in the thick of some of the most violent labor/management conflicts in U.S. history. She is buried at The Miner's Cemetery in Mount Olive, a national historic monument and the burial place of coal miners killed in the 1898 Virden massacre.

Friends is an organization composed of labor and business leaders, scholars and politicians. Each year it inducts two outstanding individuals into the hall of fame, which is located at the U.S. Department of Labor's headquarters in Washington, D.C. Since 1988, 14 people have been inducted. This year the other honoree was Sidney Hillman (1887-1946), president of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America and one of the shapers of the New Deal. Ceremonies will be held late this fall when portraits of Mother Jones and Hillman will be placed in the hall.

Staff contributors include Margaret S. Knoepfle, Jennifer Smith and Kirk Hendricks.

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