Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Tuesday named new directors–two of whom hold jobs in Chicago–to three state agencies.
Carol Adams, who heads the Center for Inner City Studies at Northeastern Illinois University, was tapped to lead the Department of Human Services.
Brian Hamer will leave his job as deputy director of the city’s Department of Revenue to run the state’s revenue agency.
Springfield resident Gary Wright, with more than 30 years’ experience in the nuclear industry, will head the Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety.
Blagojevich said the three must recognize the need to streamline operations in light of the state’s fiscal crisis and particularly highlighted their willingness to “help him change the way Springfield operates.
“These three leaders will be assigned to provide key services to people and families at the community level, to ensure the safety of Illinoisans and the effective use of our power facilities, and to serve all taxpayers and help address Illinois’ fiscal crisis through an efficient and fair collection of revenues,” Blagojevich said.
Adams previously served as director of the Chicago Housing Authority’s division of resident services and programs. At CHA, she managed 13 separate departments. She will make $127,576 as director of the state’s largest agency. The Human Services Department provides family-oriented services ranging from prenatal and mental health care to treatment for substance abuse and transitional assistance for the poor.
Hamer, in his role as first deputy in Chicago’s Revenue Department, has worked to improve customer service and boost collections. As chief assistant corporation counsel for the city’s Law Department, he helped to collect delinquent taxes and modernize Chicago’s tax code. His salary is $120,861.
Wright helped draft legislation that established the Department of Nuclear Safety as a watchdog in the early 1980s. He once trained power-plant operators in former Soviet republics to handle emergency situations while serving as a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Wright will make $98,135.
