A press release from Govenror Bruce Rauner:

Governor Announces Appointments

SPRINGFIELD – Governor Bruce Rauner announced today he has made appointments to the Illinois Workforce Investment Board, the State University Retirement Board, the Medical Disciplinary Board, the Medical District Commission, and the Illinois Liquor Control Commission.

Name: Angela Mason

Position: Board Member – Illinois Workforce Investment Board

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Angela Mason to Illinois Workforce Investment Board. She brings more than 11 years of management and leadership experience to the board.

Currently, Mason works as the Associate Vice President, Urban Agriculture/Windy City Harvest of the Chicago Botanic Garden. In this role she oversees the development and management of the program including budgeting, fundraising, staff and business development. Mason previously held two other positions with the Chicago Botanic Garden, Director of Windy City Harvest and Manager of Community Gardening.

Over the course of her career, Mason has developed and implemented effective programs across Chicagoland. She has collaborated with local, state and national government entities as well as with cultural, non-profit and educational institutions.

Mason holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in soil and general agriculture from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. She lives in Chicago.

Name: Eloy Salazar

Position: Board Member – Illinois Workforce Investment Board

Governor Bruce Rauner has reappointed Eloy Salazar to the Illinois Workforce Investment Board. He has served on the board since December 2012.

Salazar has been with the Illinois Migrant Council since 1969. Currently, he serves as the Executive Director. He is in charge of the day-to-day operations and human services program for the council. Salazar also served as an associate director, field operations director, regional director and job developer.

In addition to his role at the council, Salazar is active on a number of professional and civic boards that include: Illinois Affordable Housing Task Force, Workforce Development Board of East Central Illinois, Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies, Arden Shore Child and Family Services and Pilsen Wellness Center.

Salazar holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Illinois State University. He lives in Mundelein.

Name: Francis Idehen Jr.

Position: Board Member – State Universities Retirement Board

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Francis Idehen, Jr. to the State Universities Retirement Board. He brings a strong background in pension investment strategies and investment relations to the board.

Idehen is currently Vice President for Investor Relations at Exelon Corporation. At Exelon, Idehen is responsible for developing and implementing the company’s strategic investor relations program. He was previously a managing director at Exelon, where he developed and executed an investment strategy of more than $3 billion in alternative investments for the company’s pension plan and other retirement plans. Before coming to Exelon, Idehen was a Senior Portfolio Manager at Intel Corporation, and an Associate at Lehman Brothers.

Idehen holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Yale University and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School. He lives in Chicago.

Name: Albert F. Tracy

Position: Board Member – Medical Disciplinary Board

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Albert F. Tracy to the Medical Disciplinary Board. He brings more than a decade of health service investigation and close to 30 years of tax law enforcement experience to the board.

Tracy currently serves as a health service investigator for the State of Illinois, a position he has held since 2002. Before working for the State of Illinois, Tracy worked for almost 30 years as a special agent for the Internal Revenue Service, ensuring that the tax code was properly enforced.

Tracy is also President of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 9F, and is a member of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, The Illinois Police Association and the Federal Criminal Investigator’s Association.

Tracy holds a degree in education from Chicago State University. He resides in Spring Grove.

Name: George Bilicic

Position: Member – Illinois Medical District Commission

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed George Bilicic to the Illinois Medical District Commission. His experience in finance and investment banking makes him an asset to the commission.

Bilicic is currently the Vice President of Investment Banking at Lazard and oversees the company’s banking efforts in the areas of power, energy and infrastructure. He also serves on the firm’s Investment Banking Committee. He has worked for Lazard since 2002, except for a few months spent at the private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. He also spent a year at Merrill Lynch from 2001-2002.

Prior to his work in banking, Bilicic was a partner at the law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore. He joined the firm as an associate in 1989, and his practice focused on mergers and acquisitions.

Bilicic earned his bachelor’s degree from DeSales University and his law degree from Georgetown University. He lives in Chicago.

Name: Connie Beard

Position: Chairman – Illinois Liquor Control Commission

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed the Director of the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) to lead the Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC). Beard will do this in conjunction with her duties as Director of IDOR, and will forego any compensation related to her role as chairman. The ILCC is already under the purview of IDOR, and work very closely together. Having Beard serve as the head of both will save taxpayers money, and will help both agencies work together more efficiently.

Beard joined the administration in January, bringing more than 30 years of experience in state and local taxes to the position. From 1997 to 2015 she was the Executive Director for the Illinois Chamber of Commerce Tax Institute. Prior to that, Beard worked for IDOR under Governors Thompson, Edgar and Ryan. She held a number of positions, rising to the position of Deputy General Counsel.

Beard is a licensed attorney, earning her law degree from the University of Illinois. She earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Eastern Illinois University. Beard currently resides in Jacksonville.