Illinois e-News Release

Tim Drea will serve as a Member of the Labor Advisory Board.* Drea has served as President of the Illinois AFL-CIO since December 2019, after 12 years of service as Secretary-Treasurer. Prior, he was UFCW Local 881’s Legislative and Political Director for over 11 years. He also worked as a staff analyst for the Illinois Senate Democrats for six years and began his career as a miner for Peabody Coal. He earned an undergraduate degree in Political Studies from Sangamon State University after being honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps in 1979.

Pat Devaney will continue to serve as a Member of the Employment Security Advisory Board.* Devaney is currently Secretary-Treasurer of the Illinois AFL-CIO and President of the Association of Fire Fighters of Illinois. In addition, he serves as Fire Captain at the City of Champaign Fire Department, where he’s worked since 1995. Devaney is a member of the Champaign Firefighters Pension Board, the Illinois Fire Service Institute Advisory Board, the Bank of Labor Advisory Board and the Muscular Dystrophy Association Advisory Board. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Jim Argionis will continue to serve as a Member of the Employment Security Advisory Board.* Argionis has a legal career that began over thirty years ago. He is currently a partner at Cozen O’Connor, where he provides comprehensive strategic advice and business counseling to a broad range of corporate clients. He also handles high-profile litigation in federal and state-level courts throughout the nation. Argionis also served as a partner at Meckler, Bulger, Tilson LLP, where he gained significant litigation experience in internal investigations, trial, and appellate knowledge on how to tactfully make decisions. He has been a member of the Employment Security Advisory Board since 2003, and he has volunteered for the National Immigrant Justice Center as a pro bono attorney since 2016. Argionis received a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Juris Doctorate from Loyola University.

Shannon Fulton will serve as a Member of the Energy Workforce Advisory Council.* Fulton has over twenty years of experience within the environmental field, and is currently the Vice President of Development for StraightUp Solar after serving as the Director of Commercial Sales. She was instrumental in passing Illinois Climate and Equitable Jobs Act in 2021, and is also responsible for the implementation of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Learning. Fulton is a licensed professional geologist in the State of Illinois. She received a Bachelor of Science in renewable energy and geology with a chemistry minor, as well as a Master of Science in geohydrology, from Illinois State University.

Michael Boyd will serve as a Member of the Energy Workforce Advisory Council.* Dr. Michael Boyd has dedicated his life to higher education for over fifteen years. He currently serves as the President and CEO for Kankakee Community College, where he founded the Illinois Green Economy Network. The Network has since grown to become a consortium of all 48 community colleges across Illinois. Prior to his time as President, Dr. Boyd was the Vice President of Academic Affairs where he oversaw and led all aspects of high-quality instructions across the College. He also has experience as Associate Dean of English, Humanities, and Language Studies at Illinois Central College. At Kankakee Community College, he received an Interstate Renewable Energy Council Award in 2014 as an Accredited Clean Energy Training Provider of the Year. Dr. Boyd received a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy from Illinois State University.

Daniel Serota will serve as a Member of the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board.* Serota has over a decade of experience working in the public sector, providing governmental affair and business expertise in the Chicago area. He currently serves as the Vice President of Government and Public Affairs for Aon, where he leads all U.S. policy efforts for the firm at both the state and federal levels. He also founded the Chicago Apprentice Network, which was designed to improve access to future employees and create a more diverse community. Preceding his time at Aon, Serota was the Senior Policy Analyst for Independence Blue Cross, where he supported government affairs and senior executive teams with research and interpretation of health care reform. Serota is a member of the Illinois Apprenticeship Committee and is a board member and treasurer with the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce PAC. Serota graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in political science from Bradley University.

Kaili Emmrich will serve as a Member of the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board.* Emmrich has been impacting the workforce for over a decade, currently leading Google for Startups in North America. Having founded this section of Google in 2019 from scratch, she has advocated for and managed $28.5 million as a part of their annual budget. She has also served as Global Head of Culture, driving team initiatives to increase morale and well-being within the organization. Emmrich also worked as Head of Marketing with Google for Startups, where she led marketing for 50+ global partnerships and designed trainings for partnering organizations to build inclusive communities. Emmrich was named Crain’s Chicago Business’ 40 Under 40 in 2022 and is on the Board of Directors for 1871. She received a Bachelor of Science in Human and Organizational Development from Vanderbilt University.

Brian Shanahan will serve as a member of the Will-Kankakee Regional Development Authority.* Shanahan has over a decade of experience with organized transportation labor. He currently serves as the National Vice President for the Transportation Communications Union. He is responsible for the creation and leadership of the organizing department, which focuses on increasing membership. He also oversees all legislative efforts in Illinois. Prior to his time as National VP, he was the Chairman for the Commuter Rail Labor Association where he was the lead representative for contract negotiations for 13 labor unions at Metra Railroad. He has been appointed to serve on the Illinois High-Speed Railway Commission and the Chicago High-Speed Rail Passenger Project. Shanahan graduated from Lincoln Way East High School in Frankfort, Illinois.

Cheryl Watkins will continue to serve as a Member of the Chicago State University Board of Trustees.* Watkins is the Founder and Lead Consultant for Monarch Education Consultants, LLC, providing coaching and professional learning support to school districts on areas including race and equity, school leadership, special education, and family and community engagement. Prior to beginning her firm, she served Chicago Public Schools for over thirty years, beginning as a special education teacher and rising to leadership positions including Principal and Founder of John. J. Pershing West Middle School and finally serving as Deputy Chief of Schools for Network 11. She has most recently been recognized for her work as the recipient of the Humanitarian Award from the Far South Community Action Council, the Network Support Award from Success Bound, and the Margaret T. Burroughs Legacy Award from the DuSable Museum of African American History. Watkins received a Bachelor of Arts from Chicago State University and a Master of Education and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

* Appointments pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.