Building on a strong team of diverse experts in their fields, Governor JB Pritzker announced the following appointments in his administration
Illinois Racing Board
Alyssa Murphy will serve as a member of the Illinois Racing Board. Alyssa Murphy brings over a decade of horse racing experience to this board. She currently serves as Director of Marketing for @properties Christie's International Real Estate. Prior to this, she was Director of Marketing and Communications, Marketing Manager, and Promotions Coordinator at Arlington International Racecourse. She also has experience working at Arlington International Racecourse and Gulfstream Park, a horse racetrack in Florida. At Arlington International Racecourse, Murphy oversaw a $1.5 million budget to manage paid media, event content, and digital initiatives. Outside of her professional experience, Murphy has worked with horses for many years as her father was a former horse trainer. She is passionate about horse racing and more importantly, the aftercare of horses in Illinois. She is also an experienced equestrian in dressage. Murphy received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Augustana College.
Illinois Committee for Agricultural Education
Bill Ladd-Cawthorne will serve as a member of the Illinois Committee for Agricultural Education. Bill Ladd-Cawthorne has over twenty years of teaching and agricultural experience. He currently serves as the director of Urban Agriculture at the Gary Comer Youth Center, where he leads and coordinates all agricultural education and production activities on campus. Prior to his time at Gary Comer Youth Center, Ladd-Cawthorne was the Director of Farmer Training at Angelic Organics Learning Center. He led and coordinated farmer training programs for northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, and contributed to the development of new and ongoing programs including Routes to Farms and Farm Asset Builder. Ladd-Cawthorne received a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. John's College and a Master of Science of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
William Hook with serve as a Member of the Illinois Committee for Agricultural Education.* William Hook has been a Chicago Public School educator for over three decades, and currently serves as the Principal at Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences (CHASAS). As Principal, he advocates for agricultural education with local and state government officials. He also partners with land-grants and other post-secondary institutions to allow greater collegiate access for his students who are interested in furthering their education. Hook is also an Adjunct Professor at Daley College. He designs social science course to meet specific City College of Chicago learning outcomes. He is a part of many education-focused boards, committees, and associations, including FARM Illinois Education Committee, Chicago Zoological Society Education Advisory Board, and the Illinois Association of Vocational Agriculture Teachers. Hook received his Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University and Master of Arts and Science from Governors State University.
Clean Energy Jobs and Justice Fund
Liliana Scales will serve as a Member of the Clean Energy Jobs and Justice Fund. Liliana Scales has over a decade of professional advocacy experience. She currently serves as the State Director for Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC), where she was instrumental in helping to pass the nation-leading Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). This act improves public health, the environment, and creates equitable clean jobs across the state. Prior to her tenure as State Director, she served as an Advocacy Director at CHANGE Director. In this role, she led the coalition in building Chicago Fair maps, represented the organization on Just Democracy Illinois and Transform Illinois coalitions, and was responsible for their 2020 Census efforts. Scales has given back to her community in several ways, including as an Alumni Board Member for the Latin School of Chicago and serving on the Young Professionals Advisory Council for Mujeres Latinas en Accion. Scales received her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from John Carroll University.
Categories: Illinois, Government & Policy