A pres release from Gov. Bruce Rauner:

Governor Announces Appointments; Staff Hire

SPRINGFIELD – Governor Bruce Rauner announced he has made appointments to the Illinois Board of Higher Education and Illinois Teachers’ Retirement System Board. He has also hired a Press Secretary to his communications team.

Name: Tom Cross

Position: Chairman – Illinois Board of Higher Education

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed former State Representative Tom Cross as the Chairman of the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

Cross’s experience as a state legislator and fiscal reformer will be an asset to the board.

Cross served in the Illinois General Assembly for 22 years and was the House Republican Leader from 2002-2013.

He is currently a distinguished fellow at Aurora University where he promotes innovation in STEM education programs and a senior consultant at Culloton Strategies.

Cross is also an attorney and a former prosecutor in the Kendall County State’s Attorney’s office.

Cross earned his bachelor’s degree from Illinois Wesleyan University and his law degree from Samford University. He lives in Oswego.

Position: Board Member – Illinois Teachers’ Retirement System Board

Name: Ann Deters

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Ann Deters to the Illinois Teachers Retirement System Board. Deters’ experience in business, finance and consulting make her an ideal choice for the position.

Deters is the founder and CEO of Vantage Outsourcing, a medical service company and was previously named in the Top 500 Fasting Growing Small Businesses in the U.S. She founded the company in 1997, which has grown to include a customer base of more than 175 accounts across the country.

Deters is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and earned an MBA from Northwestern University. She lives in Effingham.

Name: Randall Winters

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Randall Winters to the Illinois Teachers Retirement System Board. He brings over 20 years of financing and advisory experience to the board.

Winters served as a senior member of the Financial Sponsors Group of Deutsche Bank and its predecessor entities. Winters has extensive experience working closely with private equity funds in a variety of financing roles as well as fundraising. He also served as an associate in investment banking for The Chicago Corp and for Barclays.

In addition to his work, Winters is chair of the Governance Committee for the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center and serves as their treasurer. He is also an advisor to the Rush Mini-Medical School program.

Winters holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Boston University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. He lives in Highland Park.

Position: Press Secretary

Name: Andrew Flach

Andrew Flach has been named a Press Secretary in the Office of the Governor. Flach brings more than 10 years of communications experience in both state and federal governments to the position.

Most recently, Flach served the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) as the Chief of Staff. He oversaw the communications, legislative and advocacy offices, and took an active role in the development of the Department’s Pay-for-Success program. He also spearheaded a partnership with the Cook County Sheriff’s Department in the Child Recovery Unit.

Prior to his work at DCFS, Flach was the communications director for U.S. Representative Rodney Davis. He has also worked for the Illinois Senate and House Republican Caucuses and as communications director for U.S. Representative Randy Hultgren and U.S. Senator Mark Kirk.

Flach earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois. He lives in Chicago.