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John F. Dunn (D-101, Decatur) has decided to not seek reelection as state representative of the Illinois General Assembly. He made his announcement on September 15, the first day to circulate petitions for the March primary. Dunn said when his service as state representative is done he plans to spend full time in the practice of law.

Dunn's first elected office was to the Decatur City Council in 1971. Since then he has served 10 successive two-year terms in the Illinois House of Representatives. He cites among his political highlights the Hickory Point Mall vote as a Decatur city councilman, funding for Route 51 from Decatur to Bloomington and funding for Richland Community College and its Schilling Center.

Eight Illinois residents were honored on October 30 by the 400-member Illinois Alliance for Aging (IAA) with the Illinois Treasures Award for their achievement, contributions and life-long service toward improving the quality of life for the citizens of Illinois. The IAA is dedicated to the belief that older adults deserve the opportunity to live and work with dignity, self-respect and security. The IAA supports nearly two million elderly Illinois residents with continuing service to such programs as housing and eldercare.

This year's honorees are: Dr. Charles W. Bolen of Normal, founder and former dean of the College of Fine Arts at Illinois State University in Normal; Hattie Cobb of Springfield, NAACP Woman of the Decade and citizen advocate in the office of the Illinois attorney general in Springfield; Joseph L. Gidwitz of Chicago, honorary chairman for life of the Council for Jewish Elderly and vice chairman of the board of Helene Curtis Inc.; Rita Graff of Wonder Lake, a legendary personal care assistant to the disabled, the ill and the dying; Mildred D. Johnson of Chicago, a writer and teacher who has contributed to the educational, historical and literary needs of Illinois children and African-American children in particular; Dr. Joseph B. Kirsner of Chicago, gastroenterologist and founder of the Center for Gastro-Intestinal Research at the University of Chicago Medical Center; Bernice Neugarten of Chicago, gerontologist and the current Rothschild Distinguished Scholar at the Center of Aging in Chicago and University of Chicago professor emeritus in the Department of Behavioral Sciences; Edwin A. Rothschild of Chicago, an attorney with Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal of Chicago, a founding member of the Lawyers Alliance and former general counsel of the Illinois American Civil Liberties Union.

Douglas L. Whitley of Springfield was named president of Ameritech-Illinois, formerly Illinois Bell, on September 15. He succeeds Barry K. Alien, who resigned on September 10 to join Marquette Electronics Inc.

Whitley, 43, joined Illinois Bell in March as vice president (see "Names," Illinois Issues, April 1993) and now Bell has been blended into Ameritech. Prior to joining Illinois Bell, he was director of the Illinois Department of Revenue and also served 14 years as president of the Taxpayers' Federation of Illinois. He earned his bachelor's degree from Southern Illinois University. Ameritech provides full-service communications and advanced information services to nearly 12 million customers in the Midwest.

John T. Porter, chairperson for the Illinois Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities, announced the formation of the Illinois Health Care Reform Coalition for People with Disabilities on September 9. The coalition will be assisting in town meetings, distributing information to interested individuals and communicating with state and federal policymakers. It will in a sense be a voice in health care reform.

Rene Christensen Leininger, director of the Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities, said that it is very important for people with disabilities and advocates to contact policymakers and tell them that "good health care should be a right for everyone and not based on one's ability to pay for it."

The following groups and individuals are currently participating in the new coalition: Access Living of Chicago; Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Springfield; Case Coordination Services for Persons with Developmental Disabilities of Chicago; Chicago Association of Retarded Citizens; Community Alternatives, Unlimited of Chicago; Council for Disability Rights of Chicago; Ron Cress of DeKalb; Epilepsy Services for Northeastern Illinois of Highland Park; Family Support Network of Park Forest; Family Voices of Skokie; Fiesta Educativa of Chicago; Dixie Gasparini of Springfield; Illinois Easter Seal Society of Springfield; Illinois Head Injury Association of Brookfield; Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition of Chicago; Illinois Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities of Chicago-Springfield; William Malleris and Associates of Wheaton; Ray Graham Association for People with Disabilities of Elmhurst; Southern Illinois Case Coordination Services of Centralia; The Arc of Illinois of Homewood; University of Illinois at Chicago's affiliated program in developmental disabilities; and the United Cerebral Palsy - BlackHawk Region of Rockford.

Anyone wanting more information on the coalition can call its offices in Chicago (312) 814-2080 or Springfield (217) 782-9696.

Nancy Kaszak (D-34, Chicago) was named the Outstanding Freshman Legislator of the Year by the Illinois Health Care Association (IHCA) on September 16.

William L. Kempiners, executive director of IHCA, noted Kaszak's focus on improving the effectiveness of government services and realizing the burden of duplicate inspections in long-term care facilities throughout the state. She drafted legislation which created a task force to study the implementation of one multi-agency inspection team.

Kaszak of Chicago is a member of the board of the Lakeview Citizens Council, commissioner on the City Landmarks Commission and is the former vice president of the Chicago Council of Lawyers.

The IHCA represents over 400 long-term care facilities in Illinois which specialize in geriatric care and community care for the developmentally disabled.

Gov. Edgar announced a joint effort with East St. Louis officials to fight crime by installing Illinois State Police Capt. Andre Parker, a 15-year veteran of the department, as the city's public safety director for one year effective September 22. Parker currently serves as the administrative support commander in the division of operations. He has served as a highway trooper and has managed the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity for the State Police.

Parker is also a first lieutenant with the U.S. Air Force Reserve and is chief of public affairs for the 183rd Fighter Group of the Illinois Air National Guard.

In his new job in East St. Louis, he will be assisted by Master Sgt. Don Murphy, a state police officer for the past 15 years and currently the fleet section manager of the Logistics Bureau.

November 1993/Illinois Issues/29

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Parker was selected by State Police director Terrance W. Gainer for this assignment.

Gov. Edgar appointed three new members and reappointed another to the 12-member Prisoner Review Board effective October 1. The board considers cases of prisoners eligible for parole and sets conditions for parole and mandatory supervised release. The board may also revoke good conduct credit and suspend or reduce such credit.

The new appointments are: Clyde Brooks, 58, of Elk Grove Village, chairman and CEO of Minority Economic Resources Corporation in Des Plaines and associate pastor of Renewance Baptist Church, replacing Joseph Longo for a term ending January 16, 1999; Milton Maxwell, 49, of Carbondale, chief managing officer of the Jackson County Probation Department, replacing Tommy Wells for a term ending January 18, 1999; William Walsh, 69, of Oak Brook, formerly a Republican state representative for 20 years and a partner with P.M. Walsh & Company, replaces the late William Redmond, former Democratic Speaker of the House, on the board. Walsh's term expires January 18, 1999.

Reappointed to the board was Joanne Shea, 55, of Burr Ridge. She received her law degree from DePaul University in Chicago and practices law independently.

All appointments require confirmation by the Senate. Members are paid $49,910 annually.

Gov. Edgar appointed Vivian Stewart Tyler of Chicago to the 13-member Human Rights Commission effective September 23. The commission oversees charges of civil rights violations in employment, housing and public accommodations.

Tlier, 53, is a teacher/librarian and a board member of Introspect Use Services. She earned a master's degree from DePaul University in Chicago. She replaces the late Nancy Jefferson, a community leader in Chicago, in the position. Her appointment requires Senate confirmation; her term ends January 16, 1995. As a commissioner, she will earn $27,290 annually.

Gov. Edgar reappointed three members to the 11-member Illinois State Toll Highway Authority effective September 23. The Toll Highway Authority is responsible for planning, constructing, maintaining and operating the state's toll highway system.

Reappointed to the authority were William Dugan, 60, of Mount Prospect, president and business manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers in Countryside; Robert Neal, 54, of Wadsworth, president and general manager of Able Electronics Inc.; and Arthur Philip, 62, of Oak Brook, a retiree who most recently was an instructor and college adviser at Joliet Junior College.

Members of the authority are paid $16,459 annually, appointments require Senate confirmation, and the terms end May 1, 1997.

Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra has been elected to the board of the Illinois chapter of The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit organization with 28,000 members statewide. Kustra brings experience to the board. He recently formed the Illinois RiverWatch Network, which provides training and volunteer opportunities for schoolchildren. He also leads the statewide advisory board for Keep Illinois Beautiful, which provides funds to help local communities administer various programs.

The Nature Conservancy has more than 700,000 members nationwide and is dedicated to preserving habitats for rare plants and animals by working with both public and private landowners interested in protecting natural areas.

Adela Coronado-Greeley, 59, of Chicago was named Teacher of the Year for the 1993-94 school year by the State Board of Education on October 2.

Greeley, an educator of 16 years, was born and raised in the barrios of East Los Angeles and is one of the founders and teachers for the Chicago School District's Inter-American Magnet School. The school has an enrollment of more than 650 students from preschool through eighth grade. Nearly 80 percent of the school's enrollment is minority and 61 percent come from low-income families.

Greeley believes that all children can become bilingual, biliterate, multicultural and successful in school. She is a strong supporter of public schools and believes the message that should be conveyed to parents and the public is that all children can learn. Among her accomplishments and achievements was her appointment to the Chicago School Board by Mayor Richard J. Daley in 1989. She returned to the classroom in 1990. She has been awarded the St. Ignatius College Prep Outstanding Teacher Award, Hispanic Women in Education Award and the Adelante Incorporated Achievement Award for Exceptional Accomplishments.

She earned a bachelor's degree from Rogers College in Ossening, N.Y. and a master's degree from National-Louis University, Evanston. She is married and mother of two daughters.

As Illinois Teacher of the Year, she will serve as the state's "Ambassador for Teaching," a distinction that includes spending the second semester traveling throughout Illinois speaking to teachers, students and college and university faculty and students.

She will be Illinois' nominee in the National Teacher of the Year program and will represent the state at the International Space Camp Week at NASA Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala.

Also as Teacher of the Year she will receive a lifetime tuition waiver to any state university and a one-year paid leave of absence to pursue graduate studies.

Former Illinois State Chamber of Commerce chief staff executive Lester W. Brann Jr., 68, of Baileys Harbor, Wis., formerly of Willowbrook, died October 2 in Jacksonville, Fla.

Mr. Brann was well known for his active role in state lobbying and problem solving for the Illinois business community. He was a veteran of 34 years in the chamber of commerce management field, starting his career with the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce in the late 1950s, serving as its legislative department manager, corporate secretary and chief staff executive. Brann joined the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce in 1967 as its chief staff executive and was elected its first full-time president in 1970.

A 1950 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School, he practiced law in Racine, Wis., for seven years and was an alderman of that city.

He is survived by his wife Lois.

Marca Bristo, 40, of Chicago was awarded the Henry B. Betts Award as Betts Laureate on September 22. The award is presented to a living American who has significantly improved the quality of life for those with disabilities. Established in 1989 by Prince Charitable Trusts, the honor recognizes that one in seven Americans will become physically disabled at some time in life.

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Continued from page 30

Bristo is CEO and founding administrator of the 14-year old Access Living in Chicago, a nonprofit organization that has benefited thousands of people with disabilities through its programs and activism. She was recently named by President Clinton as the chairperson-designee for the National Council on Disabilities, and she is a member of the congressional task force on the rights and empowerment of Americans with Disabilities, which helped craft the American with Disabilities Act. She is a cofounder, past president and active board member of the National Council on Independent Living, and she provided regular consultation to the Hillary Rodham Clinton task force on health reform.

A swimming accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down and interrupted her nursing career led her to champion quality life for those with physical disabilities. She is married and has two children.

The Henry B. Betts Award includes a $50,000 unrestricted prize. It is named for the pioneering physiatrist who heads the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

Robert G. Cline, president and CEO of NICOR Inc. of Naperville, has been reappointed chairman of the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Also reappointed as deputy chairman of the bank was Robert M. Healey, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor and Industrial Union Council, AFL-CIO. They were appointed by the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System.

Cline, who served as chairman for the past two years, has been a member of the Chicago Fed board since 1990 and is serving a second three-year term as a director.

Healey joined the executive board of the Chicago Federation of Labor in 1977. He has served as president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, is a member of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Board and is vice chairman of the Labor United Way/Crusade of Mercy.

Patrick Daly, 44, of Wheaton, president of Dalan/Jupiter Inc. in Chicago, was reappointed to the 13-member Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority by Gov. Edgar effective October 1. The board governs and administers this authority, which is responsible for the operation of McCormick Place and the redevelopment of Navy Pier, both of which are in Chicago.

Members of the authority are paid expenses only, and appointments must be confirmed by the Senate. Daly's new term expires June 1, 1997.

William B. Browder of Wilmette, former chairman of the Illinois Board of Higher Education and one-time president of the Chicago Crime Commission, was appointed to the five-member Illinois Gaming Board by Gov. Edgar effective October 1. He replaced William J. Kunkle, who resigned as chairman of the board in September. The Gaming Board regulates riverboat gambling and oversees the licensing of operators and gaming equipment suppliers in the state. They also can be assigned to supervise Las Vegas nights, bingo and pulltabs.

Browder, 77, was a member of the Illinois Board of Higher Education from 1975 to 1991, including 12 years as chairman, and also a member of the Illinois Racing Board from 1973 to 1974.

He earned a bachelor's degree and law degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He is a past board member of the University of Illinois Foundation and a member of the University of Illinois President's Council since 1974.

Members on the board are paid $300 per diem plus expenses, and appointments require Senate confirmation. His term on the gaming board expires July 1, 1996.

James Pollock

32/November 1993/Illinois Issues